President Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs starting from February 1st on European allies including Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Britain, and Norway, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland — which is not for sale. Trump says the strategically located and mineral-rich island is of vital importance to U.S. security and that he has not ruled out the use of force to take it.
In a text message Sunday to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump wrote:
“Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. “
The eight targeted countries, which are already subject to U.S. tariffs of 10% and 15%, have sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland as part of its plans for a “larger and more permanent” NATO presence to secure the island.
Here's what leaders are saying:
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said, “Europe will not be blackmailed.”
- Denmark's defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said, “…it is clear that we now will be able to plan for a larger and more permanent presence throughout 2026 and that is crucial to show that security in the Arctic is not only for the Kingdom of Denmark, it is for all of NATO.”
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the tariff threat as a “mistake.”
- Britain Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “Our position on Greenland is non-negotiable … It is in our collective interest to work together and not to start a war of words.”
French President Emmanuel Macron asked the European Union to activate its anti-coercion instrument, known as a “trade bazooka,” to block some of America’s access to EU markets or impose export controls, among a broader list of potential countermeasures. The trade bazooka was originally created with countries like China in mind, not allies like the United States.
When asked if the anti-coercion instrument was back on the table, Olof Gill, a spokesperson for the European Commission, told reporters, “It was never off the table.”
The next step is expected to be a formal EU review of potential countermeasures under the anti-coercion instrument, alongside additional NATO consultations on Arctic deployments, as diplomats prepare for a February escalation window once the tariff threat is set to take effect.
This is a developing story and some details may have changed by the time you read this.