Trump announces escalating tariffs on European nations until US buys Greenland

1 month ago 20

Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced escalating tariffs on eight major European nations until Greenland is sold to the US, in a major escalation of his long-running attempts to acquire the Arctic territory from Denmark.

In a 434-word social media post, Trump said a 10 per cent tariff would be imposed on any goods sent to the US from Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland, starting February 1.

A poll last year found 85 per cent of Greenlanders opposed becoming part of the United States.

The tariff would increase to 25 per cent on June 1, he said, and would be payable until a deal was struck for the “complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the US.

Trump’s threat provides for two weeks of negotiations - one of his favourite timeframes when trying to win concessions from other countries - before the additional tariffs begin.

The announcement comes days after a tense meeting in Washington between US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland. Trump did not attend.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, a former prime minister, emerged from the “frank but constructive” discussion saying that it would be “totally unacceptable” for the US to disrespect Denmark’s territorial integrity or the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.

Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, in Washington for talks last week.

The parties agreed to form a working group to try to break the impasse, but the “fundamental disagreement” remained, Rasmussen said.

Conservative Danish politician Rasmus Jarlov, chair of the parliament’s Defence, Resilience and Preparedness Committee, said in response to Trump’s latest threat that Denmark would never hand over Greenland.

“Every insult, threat, tariff and lie that we receive strengthens our resolve,” Jarlov said on X. “We pray that our true allies will stand with us because we are going to need it.”

A poll last year found 85 per cent of Greenlanders opposed joining the US. The country’s population is about 56,000, but its location as a northern gateway to North America, and its rich stocks of critical minerals, make it strategically significant.

Thousands demonstrated against a US takeover of Greenland in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

Thousands of protesters marched in Copenhagen and Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, on Saturday to reject Trump’s attempts to acquire the territory.

In Copenhagen, demonstrators chanted “Greenland is not for sale” and held up slogans such as “No means No” and “Hands off Greenland” alongside the territory’s red-and-white flag as they marched to the US embassy.

One protester carried a sign that said: “Yankee go home”, while some attendees wore red, Make America Great Again-style caps that instead read: “Make America Go Away.”

In Nuuk, crowds led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen carried flags and similar banners as they headed for the US consulate, chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat” - the island’s name in Greenlandic.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen led protests in the territory’s capital, Nuuk, on Saturday.

“I’ve come here today because I think it’s important to show that Greenland is not for sale,” civil servant Naja Holm told Reuters. “It is not a toy. This is our home.”

The US has made several attempts to buy Greenland since the 19th century. Trump talked about it in his first term, but has made it a bigger priority in his second, especially since Christmas.

On Sunday (AEDT), he claimed the US had “subsidised” Denmark and Europe for decades by failing to charge tariffs, and it was time for Denmark to “give back”.

“World Peace is at stake!” he wrote. “China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it. They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently. Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that!”

President Donald Trump says Greenland is vital for US national security.

Trump was aggrieved by several European nations - the eight he singled out for new tariffs - sending small numbers of troops to Greenland last week as a show of solidarity and to begin a larger permanent military presence on the world’s largest non-continental island.

The European effort involving joint military exercises is titled Operation Arctic Endurance. French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to dispatch further land, air and sea assets to Greenland in the coming days.

“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump said of the moves. “These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.”

The US president said he was open to negotiation with Denmark and the rest of Europe. The US’s need to acquire Greenland was especially important due to his plans for a “Golden Dome”, he said, referring to his proposed missile defence system that could also include Canada.

Retiring Republican senator Thom Tillis, who was among several US lawmakers who met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen this week, said Trump’s response to the European military exercises in Greenland damaged the NATO alliance.

“It’s great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided,” he said on X. “The fact that a small handful of ‘advisors’ are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid.”