‘Blackmail’: Europe lashes out at Trump over latest move to get Greenland

Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced escalating tariffs on eight 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.

The tariff would increase to 25 per cent on June 1 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 US president was aggrieved by several European nations – the eight he singled out for new tariffs – sending small numbers of troops to Greenland last week in 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 called 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.”

Macron said he stood by his decision to join the operation and called Trump’s latest tariff threat unacceptable, promising Europe would respond in a united fashion.

“No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations,” Macron said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Greenland was part of Denmark and its future was a matter for Greenlanders and Danes.

“We have also made clear that Arctic security matters for the whole of NATO, and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic,” Starmer said.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will, of course, be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also rejected Trump’s pressure. “We will not let ourselves be blackmailed,” he posted on X. “Only Denmark and Greenland decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

The European Union has called on emergency meeting of its national ambassadors to decide on a course of action. It said it stood behind Denmark and Greenland.

Trump’s announcement came 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.

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

In Copenhagen, they 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.

“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!”

Trump said the US 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 the 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 ‘advisers’ are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid.”

With Reuters

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