Trump threatens 10% tariffs on eight European nations over Greenland opposition

The announcement marks the latest escalation of Trump’s months-long effort to acquire Greenland, straining relations with NATO allies who have expressed unified opposition to the territorial bid and raising immediate questions about how Washington could legally implement the tariffs against the EU’s single economic zone.

President Donald Trump announced Saturday that eight European nations will face a 10 percent import tariff beginning in February because of their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland, prompting European Union leaders to warn of a “dangerous downward spiral” in transatlantic relations.

Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face the initial levy, Trump said in a Truth Social post from his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The rate would climb to 25 percent on June 1 if no deal had been reached for what he called the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.

“The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them,” Trump said on Truth Social.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa said in a joint statement that tariffs “would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” They said Europe would remain “committed to upholding its sovereignty.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the announcement a “surprise” given what he described as a “constructive meeting” with top U.S. officials earlier that week in Washington.

Macron invokes Ukraine parallel

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a translated post on X, appeared to equate the tariff threat with the kind of pressure Russia has applied to neighboring countries through military force.

“No intimidation or threats will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations,” Macron said.

Implementation questions

Questions arose immediately about how the tariffs could take effect. A European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said it was unclear how the White House could act given that the EU functions as a single economic zone for trade. It was also unclear what U.S. legal authority Trump could invoke, though he could cite emergency economic powers that are currently subject to a U.S. Supreme Court challenge, according to the Associated Press.

Trump indicated the action was in part retaliation for what appeared to be the deployment of symbolic levels of European troops to Greenland, which he has said is essential for a U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defense system. He has also argued that Russia and China might seek to take over the island.

Protests in Nuuk and Copenhagen

Hours before Trump’s social media post, hundreds of people in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, braved near-freezing temperatures and icy streets to march in support of the territory’s self-governance. Thousands also marched through Copenhagen, many carrying Greenland’s flag.

“This is important for the whole world,” said Danish protester Elise Riechie, holding Danish and Greenlandic flags. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers visiting Copenhagen sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of congressional support for the alliance.

Danish commander: troops are training, not signaling

Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, leader of the Joint Arctic Command, told the AP that European troops recently deployed to Nuuk were there for Arctic defense training, not to send a message to Washington.

“I will not go into the political part, but I will say that I would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country,” Andersen said from aboard a Danish military vessel docked in Nuuk. “For us, for me, it’s not about signaling. It is actually about training military units, working together with allies.”

Andersen said the U.S. had been invited to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance in Greenland in coming days. He added that in 2½ years as Arctic commander, he had not observed any Chinese or Russian combat vessels or warships near Greenland — a direct contradiction of Trump’s claims that they were operating off the island’s coast.

Andersen confirmed that if American troops used force on Danish soil, Danish soldiers would be obligated to fight back.

Congressional response split along lines

Sen. Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, visiting Copenhagen with fellow lawmakers, said the tariff threat risked undermining confidence in U.S. commitments across the alliance.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” Coons said. “If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”

Rep. Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, said the episode highlighted the need for legislative oversight of trade penalties. “Congress must reclaim tariff authorities” so that they are not used solely at a president’s discretion, Bacon said.

Background

The U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. Its military presence on the island has shrunk from thousands of soldiers across 17 bases and installations since 1945 to approximately 200 personnel at Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest, which supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO, according to the Danish foreign minister.

Greenland is a semiautonomous territory of Denmark with a population of about 57,000. Trump has long argued the U.S. should own the strategically located island, which holds large reserves of critical minerals. He has repeatedly used trade penalties as leverage with both allies and rivals, generating investment commitments from some nations and pushback from others.

Trump is scheduled to travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday, where he is likely to encounter several of the European leaders he just threatened with tariffs.