President Trump clarified in his post on the social network Truth that the tariff will affect the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, France, and Sweden. He added that these countries will be required to pay the tariff until the U.S. reaches an agreement on the transfer of Greenland.
If a deal is not reached by June 1, Trump warned of raising the tariff rate to 25%.
“We have supported Denmark and other European Union countries for many years without charging them tariffs. It’s time to collect the debt, as this is about peace around the world! China and Russia want to acquire Greenland, and Denmark can do nothing about it,” the president wrote, reiterating the insufficient protection of Greenland.
In response to the tariff threat, eight European states issued a joint statement in support of Denmark following the deployment of its military to Greenland.
“As NATO members, we are committed to ensuring security in the Arctic in the interests of the entire transatlantic community. The Danish Arctic Endurance exercises, conducted jointly with our allies, do not pose a threat to others,” the statement said.
“We fully support Denmark and Greenland. We are ready to engage in dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, which we wholeheartedly uphold,” they added.
The message also emphasized that tariff threats could undermine transatlantic relations and lead to dangerous escalation. “We will act as a united front in response to these threats,” the European leaders stated.
This statement was signed by the governments of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Mass protests against the U.S. intentions to seize the island took place in Greenland and Denmark on Saturday.
European countries expressed support for Denmark, stating that Arctic security should be a shared responsibility of NATO.
“Using tariffs to ensure the security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will discuss this situation directly with the U.S. administration,” noted UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” said Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, adding that Sweden is actively negotiating with other EU countries, Norway, and the UK to formulate a joint response.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni characterized Trump’s threats as a mistake. “I spoke with Donald Trump a few hours ago and expressed my point of view to him,” she noted.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized that all European neighbors support Denmark and that she is actively negotiating with Britain, France, Germany, and other allied countries.
“I am pleased to see that all of Europe is not succumbing to blackmail,” Frederiksen said.
Similar sentiments were expressed by the foreign ministers of Norway and Denmark, Espen Barth Eide and Lars Løkke Rasmussen, after a meeting in Oslo, reaffirming their determination not to yield to Trump’s pressure.
The Danish minister expressed hope for continued negotiations with the U.S. to “persuade the president to abandon his dream of acquiring Greenland.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also discussed the situation regarding Greenland with Trump, reporting this on social media X without details, only noting that “we will continue to work on this issue and I expect to meet with him this week in Davos.”
On Wednesday, Trump will meet with European leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Following Trump’s repeated claims to Greenland, eight European countries sent their military to the island as part of a reconnaissance mission to enhance security in the region.
