A severe diplomatic crisis has erupted between the United States and its European allies following President Donald Trump’s threats to impose punitive tariffs in response to opposition to his bid for U.S. control of Greenland. The unprecedented confrontation has triggered emergency meetings and threats of substantial retaliatory measures from European powers.
In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump announced plans to implement a 10% tariff on all goods imported from eight European countries effective February 1, with a threat to increase tariffs to 25% by June 1 if his demands regarding Greenland remain unmet. The president has repeatedly asserted that U.S. control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory is essential for “national security” and that any alternative would be “unacceptable.”
The European response has been swift and unified. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and French Finance Minister Roland Lescure jointly declared that European powers “will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” characterizing the tariff threats as “obviously unacceptable” between longstanding allies. Eight NATO nations, including Denmark, issued a collective statement condemning the tariffs as “dangerous” to trans-Atlantic relations and expressing “full solidarity” with both Denmark and Greenland.
Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen reinforced the territory’s position, stating on Facebook that “we will not be pressured” by U.S. threats and welcoming international support “as a clear recognition that Greenland is a democratic society with the right to make its own decisions.”
The European Union is considering significant countermeasures, including potentially imposing €93 billion ($107.68 billion) worth of tariffs on U.S. goods or restricting American companies’ access to the bloc’s market. EU leaders are scheduled to convene an emergency summit to discuss activating the previously unused Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could limit U.S. access to public tenders, investments, and banking activities within the EU.
The escalating conflict has already disrupted diplomatic engagements, with Danish officials canceling their participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos. The European Parliament has also suspended work on the EU-US trade deal that was scheduled for ratification later this month.
Meanwhile, European troops have begun arriving in Greenland in a show of support for Denmark, as talks with U.S. officials have revealed “fundamental disagreement” on the matter. For many Greenlanders, discussions about transferring their territory to U.S. control are viewed as a “complete insult,” according to local media reports.