Trump’s Greenland Threat: 100% Tariffs, EU Strikes Back

Trump vows 100% tariffs over Greenland control as the EU pushes back. The Greenland tariffs threat risks Nato unity and escalates US-Europe tensions.

sarah

Jan 20, 2026 - 04:43

Trump’s Greenland Threat: 100% Tariffs, EU Strikes Back

Donald Trump has vowed to "100%" follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on European countries that oppose his demand for control over Greenland.

European allies have united in support of Greenland's sovereignty. Denmark's foreign minister emphasized that the US president cannot threaten the ownership of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated the UK's position that Greenland's future is for "the people of Greenland and the Danish people alone" to decide.

On Monday, Trump did not rule out the possibility of using force and insisted he would implement the threatened tariffs on goods coming into the US from Britain and seven other NATO-allied countries.

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The US president said he would impose a 10% tariff on "any and all goods" shipped from Britain to the US starting February 1, which would increase to 25% on June 1, unless Washington reaches an agreement with Denmark to purchase Greenland.

Trump said the same would apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland – all members of the NATO defense alliance, established in 1949.

Trump added: "Europe should be focusing on the war with Russia and Ukraine because, frankly, you see what they've gotten out of that... That's what Europe should be focusing on – not Greenland."

Denmark has warned that US military action in Greenland would lead to the end of NATO. In recent days, Greenland has received support from the alliance's European members – some even sent a small number of troops to Greenland last week as a symbolic gesture.

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However, Trump announced the tariffs on the eight NATO allies following that deployment. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Europe must show President Trump that threatening tariffs is "not the way forward."

"We have some red lines that cannot be crossed". "You cannot acquire ownership of Greenland by making threats. I have no intention of escalating this situation further."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance would continue to work with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security. The European Union is holding an emergency summit of its leaders in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how to respond to Trump's latest threat to acquire Greenland.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc has "no interest in a fight, but we will stand our ground."

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