President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to sharply increase tariffs on several European allies, saying the trade penalties would remain in place until the United States is allowed to purchase Greenland, a move that intensified diplomatic tensions across the Atlantic.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the United States would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain beginning February 1. He said the tariffs would rise to 25 percent on June 1 and would stay in effect until a deal is reached for the United States to acquire Greenland.
The warning marks a significant escalation in Trump’s long running campaign to gain control of the Danish autonomous territory, citing its strategic location in the Arctic and its untapped mineral resources. European leaders have rejected the proposal outright, warning that trade pressure tied to territorial demands could destabilize NATO and global markets.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is critical to United States national security, pointing to increased competition in the Arctic involving Russia and China. He has also highlighted Greenland’s reserves of rare earth minerals and other strategic resources.
In his post, Trump accused European countries backing Denmark of raising security risks in the region. He said the United States was open to negotiations despite what he described as decades of providing protection to its allies.
“These countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” Trump wrote.
European governments moved quickly to push back. Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated support for Denmark and rejected linking trade measures to Greenland’s future. “There is broad agreement within NATO on the need to strengthen security in the Arctic, including in Greenland,” Eide said in a statement. “We do not think the question of tariffs belongs in this context.”
Earlier this week, Denmark confirmed that several European countries had deployed military personnel to Greenland at Copenhagen’s request, showing growing concern over the island’s security.
Protests broke out on Saturday in both Denmark and Greenland, where demonstrators called for the territory’s right to decide its own future without outside pressure. Leaders in Nuuk and Copenhagen have consistently said Greenland is not for sale and does not seek to become part of the United States.
Officials across Europe have warned that any attempt by Washington to seize territory within NATO could severely damage the alliance. Greenland is already covered under NATO’s collective defense clause, known as Article 5.
The United States has maintained a military presence on the island for decades. Under a 1951 defense agreement with Denmark, Washington operates Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland, with roughly 200 U.S. troops stationed there and the ability to deploy more forces if needed.
Read Also: Greenland Military Deployments Rise Amid Trump Pressure
Trump’s tariff threat also raises questions about the future of recent trade understandings with the European Union and Great Britain. Last year, the United States agreed to baseline tariffs of 15 percent on European imports and 10 percent on most British goods, arrangements that could now be jeopardized.
Tariffs have increasingly become Trump’s preferred tool for advancing foreign policy goals. Earlier this week, he said the United States would impose 25 percent tariffs on countries trading with Iran in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protests, though no formal policy documentation has been published.
The legality of Trump’s sweeping tariff authority is also under scrutiny. The U.S. Supreme Court has heard arguments on the scope of presidential power to impose broad trade penalties, with any ruling expected to have wide ranging economic and political consequences.
Despite growing resistance from European allies, Trump has insisted he will accept nothing less than ownership of Greenland, framing the issue as a matter of long term security and strategic dominance in the Arctic. European officials continue to argue that existing defense arrangements already address those concerns.