In a significant escalation of his campaign to acquire Greenland, President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he may impose trade tariffs on countries refusing to support his proposed takeover of the mineral-rich Arctic territory. The declaration came during a health policy roundtable at the White House, where Trump asserted Greenland’s critical importance to U.S. national security interests.
The president framed the potential economic measures as analogous to previous tariff threats against European nations France and Germany regarding pharmaceutical pricing. This latest pronouncement represents Trump’s most explicit economic pressure tactic yet in his intensified bid to obtain the autonomous Danish territory—a pursuit he has previously suggested might necessitate military intervention.
Trump’s justification centers on Greenland’s substantial mineral resources and its strategic position in the Arctic, where he alleges the territory has inadequately addressed security concerns regarding geopolitical rivals Russia and China. The announcement has triggered swift international response, with European nations demonstrating solidarity with Denmark and Greenland through military deployments to the region.
A bipartisan congressional delegation concurrently initiated diplomatic meetings in Copenhagen on Friday to express support for Danish sovereignty. This development follows Wednesday’s high-level discussions at the White House involving foreign ministers from both Denmark and Greenland, which concluded with acknowledged “fundamental disagreement” regarding Trump’s acquisition ambitions.
Despite the diplomatic impasse, all parties have agreed to establish a working group that will convene every two to three weeks to continue dialogue on the contentious issue, according to a White House statement released Thursday.