Trump threatens sweeping tariffs on European allies over Greenland dispute

US President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose escalating tariffs on several European allies until the United States is allowed to purchase Greenland, sharply intensifying a diplomatic row with Denmark and the European Union.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that an additional 10% import tariff would take effect from February 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain. He said the tariffs would rise to 25% from June 1 and remain in place until a deal is reached for the US to acquire Greenland.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark. Leaders in both Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly rejected Trump’s demands, saying the island is not for sale and that its people do not want to become part of the United States.

Trump has argued that Greenland is critical to US security due to its strategic Arctic location and large mineral resources, and has previously declined to rule out the use of force. European countries this week sent military personnel to Greenland at Denmark’s request, a move Trump criticised in his social media post.

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Protests were held on Saturday in Denmark and Greenland, where demonstrators called for the territory to be allowed to determine its own future. European leaders warned that using tariffs to pressure NATO allies could seriously damage transatlantic relations.

Denmark’s foreign minister said the announcement was unexpected, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said applying tariffs on allies for pursuing collective security was “completely wrong.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said the EU stood in full solidarity with Denmark and Greenland and warned that tariffs risked a dangerous downward spiral.

Officials from Norway, Sweden, France and Germany also voiced support for Denmark, stressing that trade measures should not be linked to Greenland. Cyprus, which currently holds the EU presidency, said it had called an emergency meeting of EU ambassadors.

Analysts warned the move could derail existing trade arrangements between the US and Europe. Trump’s growing use of tariffs as a political tool is also facing legal scrutiny in the United States, with the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the legality of his sweeping trade measures.

Despite Trump’s security claims, European officials pointed out that Greenland is already covered by NATO’s collective defence pact and hosts a long-standing US military base. Several EU leaders said the dispute risks weakening Western unity at a time of rising tensions with China and Russia.