Individuals bear Greenlandic flags as they collect in entrance of the U.S. consulate protest in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump and his introduced intent to amass Greenland on January 17, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland.
Sean Gallup | Getty Photographs Information | Getty Photographs
European leaders have hit again at U.S. President Donald Trump’s risk to impose contemporary tariffs on them in the event that they oppose his try to purchase Greenland, describing the ultimatum as “fully mistaken” and “unacceptable.”
Trump introduced on Saturday that eight European allies would face rising tariffs, beginning at 10% on Feb.1 and rising to 25% on June 1, if a deal will not be reached so Washington can “purchase” the Arctic territory, which is semi-autonomous and a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Eight NATO members’ items despatched to the U.S. will face escalating tariffs “till such time as a Deal is reached for the Full and Whole buy of Greenland,” Trump acknowledged on his social media platform Fact Social on Saturday.
The proposed tariffs would goal Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.Ok, the Netherlands and Finland, Trump mentioned.
European leaders have been fast to react to the most recent risk with U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer commenting Saturday that “making use of tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective safety of NATO allies is totally mistaken,” whereas French President Emmanuel Macron described them as “unacceptable.”
“Europeans will reply in a united and coordinated method ought to they be confirmed. We’ll be sure that European sovereignty is upheld,” Macron acknowledged on social media platform X on Saturday,
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa issued an announcement Saturday during which they mentioned the EU “stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the individuals of Greenland.”
It added that it was dedicated to additional dialogue following talks between Denmark, Greenland and high U.S. officers final week, which ended with no diplomatic breakthrough.
Nonetheless, Danish Overseas Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen mentioned Trump’s tariffs risk had come “as a shock” following the “constructive assembly” with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The European Union has known as an emergency assembly which can happen at 16:00 p.m. London time on Sunday, Reuters reported.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who, like British PM Keir Starmer is understood to have a superb relationship with Donald Trump, known as for cool heads and additional talks.
He warned additional tariffs — which might come on high of the 15% tariff on EU exports to the U.S., and the ten% levied on U.Ok. exports — can be damaging, nonetheless.
“Amongst allies, points are greatest resolved by means of dialogue, not by means of strain,” he mentioned on X.
“European nations stand united. We emphasize the ideas of territorial integrity and sovereignty. We help Denmark and Greenland. Dialogue with the USA continues. Tariffs would undermine the transatlantic relationship and threat a harmful downward spiral.”
Denmark and its European neighbors have made repeated efforts to dissuade Trump from seeking to purchase Greenland, significantly after the president mentioned earlier this month that he would think about all choices to acquire the mineral-rich island, together with utilizing navy drive.
Trump says buying Greenland is important for U.S. nationwide safety. He has additionally mentioned that U.S. possession would stop Russia and China from gaining a foothold within the territory. Beijing and Moscow have lambasted Trump’s claims and his coveting of Greenland, calling them a “pretext …for egocentric features” and “extraordinary.”
Younger individuals with placards studying “Greenland will not be on the market!” participate in an illustration that gathered virtually a 3rd of town inhabitants to protest in opposition to the US President’s plans to take Greenland, on January 17, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland, close to the US Consulate to Greenland.
Alessandro Rampazzo | Afp | Getty Photographs
Greenland itself has repeatedly rejected Trump’s advances and whereas a majority of its inhabitants would really like independence from Denmark, in response to opinion polls, most Greenlanders wouldn’t prefer to change into part of the U.S., both.
Protests have been held in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, on Saturday, with demonstrators holding placards reiterating the place of the island’s management, and that of Denmark, that “Greenland will not be on the market.”
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