Trump Says Greenland Tariffs Are Certain, EU Vows to Protect Interests
Donald Trump has pledged to fully enforce tariffs on European nations that resist his call for U.S. control over Greenland.
European allies have united in support of Greenland’s sovereignty. Denmark’s foreign minister insisted that the US president cannot threaten to seize the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated the UK’s position that Greenland’s future is “a matter for the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark alone.”
On Monday, Trump did not rule out the use of force and insisted he would follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on goods from the UK and seven other NATO allies.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, the US president said he had a “very good phone call” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and that they had agreed to meet with “various parties” in Switzerland this week.
He added, “Greenland is very important for the security of the country and the world. This cannot be backed away from—everyone agrees on that!”
Trump has said he will impose a 10% tariff on “any and all goods” shipped from the UK to the US starting February 1, rising to 25% on June 1, unless a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
He said the same would apply to goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland—all members of the defense alliance NATO, which was founded in 1949.
When asked if he would follow through on the tariff threat, Trump told NBC News, “I absolutely will.”
When the outlet asked if he would use force to seize the territory, the president replied, “No comment.”
Trump said, “Europe should be focusing on the war with Russia and Ukraine because, frankly, you can see what that’s gotten them… That’s what Europe should be focusing on—not Greenland.”
Denmark has warned that US military action in Greenland would signal the end of NATO. In recent days, Greenland has received support from the Alliance’s European members—some even sending troops to Greenland last week, in what is considered a symbolic gesture.
However, Trump then announced tariffs on eight NATO allies. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Europe must show that President Trump’s tariff threats “are not the way forward.”
“We have red lines that cannot be crossed,” he told Sky News. “You cannot threaten to take ownership of Greenland. I have no intention of escalating this situation further.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said tariffs have benefited no one, and he hoped to meet with the US president during his trip to Davos for the World Economic Forum.
“We don’t want this escalation. We don’t want a trade dispute with the United States of America,” he said.
He also said the Trump administration was not surprised by the so-called NATO reconnaissance mission over the weekend, as it had been announced and agreed upon beforehand. “It was never a military action,” the German Chancellor said.
The European Union is holding an emergency summit for its leaders in Brussels on Thursday, where they will discuss how to respond to Trump’s new threat to seize Greenland.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc has “no interest in a fight, but we will stand our ground.” Kallas added, “But trade threats are not the way to resolve this matter.” “Sovereignty is not for sale.”
