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Trump vows tariffs on European nations opposing Greenland takeover
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to impose escalating tariffs on eight NATO allies, including the UK and Denmark, unless they agree to Washington's demand to purchase Greenland. The threat has drawn sharp rebukes from European leaders, who insist the Arctic territory's sovereignty is not negotiable.
Tariff timeline and European response
Trump announced plans to levy a 10% tariff on all goods imported from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland beginning February 1. The rate would rise to 25% on June 1 unless a deal is reached. In a Tuesday morning post on Truth Social, he declared Greenland "imperative for National and World Security," adding, "There can be no going back-on that, everyone agrees!"
European officials swiftly condemned the move. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told Sky News, "You can't threaten your way to ownership of Greenland. I have no intention of escalating this situation." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, called the tariffs counterproductive, stating, "We do not want a trade dispute with the United States."
NATO unity tested as EU convenes emergency summit
The European Union will hold an emergency leaders' summit in Brussels on Thursday to coordinate a response. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized sovereignty is non-negotiable: "Trade threats are not the way to go about this."
Trump doubled down in an NBC News interview Monday, confirming he would "100%" follow through on the tariffs. When asked about military action, he declined to comment. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reportedly spoke with Trump by phone, agreeing to a multi-party meeting in Switzerland this week.
Symbolic military movements
Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, has become a flashpoint. Some European NATO members sent a small contingent of troops to the island last week in a symbolic show of support. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) later announced routine aircraft deployments to Pituffik Space Base, stressing the operation was pre-planned and coordinated with Danish and Greenlandic authorities.
Diplomatic tensions spill into Nobel Prize dispute
Leaked text messages revealed Trump blamed Norway for his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, despite Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre clarifying the government does not influence the independent committee's decisions. Trump dismissed the explanation, insisting, "Norway totally controls it." The exchange underscored broader strains between the U.S. and its allies.
"Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter."
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre
Denmark warns of NATO collapse
Denmark has cautioned that U.S. military action in Greenland would fracture the alliance. Trump, however, framed the dispute as a distraction from Europe's priorities, telling NBC News, "Europe ought to focus on the war with Russia and Ukraine... not Greenland."
