Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on eight European countries over the issue of Greenland.

Florida: President Donald Trump said Saturday he will impose a 10% import tax on goods from eight European countries starting in February because they oppose U.S. control of Greenland, potentially creating a dangerous test of U.S. partnerships in Europe.

The tariffs would apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, Trump said in a social media post from his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He said the rate would increase to 25% on June 1 if a deal is not reached for the “complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
The Republican president indicated he is using the tariffs to negotiate with Denmark and other European countries over the status of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that he considers vital to U.S. national security. “The United States of America is ready to negotiate immediately with Denmark and/or any of these countries that have put themselves at such risk despite all that we have done for them,” Trump said on Truth Social.

The tariff threat could create a difficult rift between Trump and America’s long-standing NATO partners, further straining the alliance that has provided security for Europe and North America since 1949. Trump has repeatedly used trade penalties to try to bend allies and adversaries to his will, securing investment commitments from some countries and drawing opposition from others, particularly China.

Trump is scheduled to travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, where he will likely encounter some of the European leaders he has just threatened with tariffs, which would take effect in just over two weeks. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Trump’s move was a “surprise” given the “constructive meetings” he had with top U.S. officials in Washington this week. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head António Costa said in a joint statement that the tariffs “will weaken transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” They added that Europe “remains committed to maintaining its sovereignty.”

According to a European diplomat, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, questions immediately arose about how the White House could attempt to implement the tariffs, given that the EU is a single economic zone for trading purposes. It was also unclear how Trump could proceed under U.S. law, although he could invoke emergency economic powers that are currently being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump has long maintained that he believes the U.S. should own the strategically located and mineral-rich island, which has a population of approximately 57,000 and is defended by Denmark. He escalated his demands earlier this month, a day after a military operation to remove Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. The president suggested the tariffs were retaliation against European countries for not deploying troops to Greenland, which he said was necessary for the U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defense system. He also suggested that Russia and China might try to seize the island.

The U.S. already has access to Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. Denmark’s foreign minister said that since 1945, the U.S. military presence in Greenland has shrunk from thousands of troops at 17 bases and installations to about 200 at the remote Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest. That base supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance operations for the U.S. and NATO.

Opposition to Trump’s aims is growing in Europe, even though several countries on the continent agreed to his 15% tariffs last year to maintain economic and security ties with Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron compared the tariff threat to Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

“When we face such situations, no threat or intimidation will affect us, whether in Ukraine, in Greenland, or anywhere else in the world,” Macron said in a translated post on X.

‘Important for the whole world’ Earlier on Saturday, hundreds of people in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, braved near-freezing temperatures, rain, and icy streets to march in a rally supporting their self-governance.
Thousands also marched in Copenhagen, many carrying Greenlandic flags. Some held signs with slogans such as “Make America Smart Again” and “Hands Off.”

“This is important for the whole world,” said Danish protester Ellie.