President Trump stated Saturday that he would impose 10% tariffs on international locations which have despatched army forces into Greenland amid his push to annex the Arctic island.
Mr. Trump stated in a Reality Social submit that the tariffs might be levied towards Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland and take impact on Feb. 1, 2026. All eight international locations are members of NATO.
The tariffs might be elevated to 25% on June 1, Mr. Trump wrote, and stay in place “till such time as a Deal is reached for the Full and Complete buy of Greenland.”
There was no forewarning from official channels to U.S. allies and NATO companions earlier than Mr. Trump posted on Reality Social Saturday, two European diplomats advised CBS Information. Officers in these allied nations really feel alienated, pissed off and see this as a possible breaking level within the U.S.-Europe relationship, a number of diplomats stated. Mr. Trump is scheduled to journey on Tuesday to the World Financial Discussion board in Davos, Switzerland, the place he probably will run into the European leaders he simply threatened with tariffs.
CBS Information senior overseas correspondent Liz Palmer described the Danish troopers as a “token power” and stated the army presence “is a sign to Washington that if Trump is nervous about Arctic safety, his NATO allies are keen to do their half in serving to to take care of it.” On Reality Social, Mr. Trump accused the international locations of getting “journeyed to Greenland, for functions unknown.”
“These Nations, who’re taking part in this very harmful sport, have put a degree of danger in play that isn’t tenable or sustainable,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Due to this fact, it’s crucial that, in an effort to shield International Peace and Safety, robust measures be taken in order that this probably perilous state of affairs finish shortly, and with out query.”
In a press release Saturday night time, Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer stated that Democratic lawmakers within the higher chamber would introduce laws to dam “these tariffs earlier than they do additional injury to the American financial system and our allies in Europe.”
“Donald Trump’s foolhardy tariffs have already pushed up costs and broken our financial system and now he’s solely making issues worse,” Schumer wrote. “It’s unbelievable that he needs to double down on the stupidity by imposing tariffs on our closest allies for his quixotic quest to takeover Greenland.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, additionally criticized the tariffs early Saturday afternoon.
“This response to our personal allies for sending a small variety of troops to Greenland for coaching is dangerous for America, dangerous for American companies, and dangerous for America’s allies,” he wrote on X. “It is nice for Putin, Xi and different adversaries who wish to see NATO divided. The truth that a small handful of “advisors” are actively pushing for coercive motion to grab territory of an ally is past silly. It hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all of the work he has accomplished to strengthen the NATO alliance through the years.”
Hundreds of Greenlanders, together with Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, took half in a protest march Saturday towards Mr. Trump from Greenland’s capital metropolis of Nuuk to the U.S. Consulate, the Related Press reported.
Marko Djurica / REUTERS
“I assumed at the present time could not get any worse however it simply did,” 21-year-old Malik Dollerup-Scheibel stated after the AP advised him about Mr. Trump’s tariff announcement. “It simply exhibits he has no regret for any type of human being now.”
Hundreds of individuals additionally protested in entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen.
Mohamed El-Shemy/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures 
European leaders react to Trump tariff threats
In a press release posted to X on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated the nation is “dedicated to the sovereignty and independence of countries, in Europe and elsewhere,” and it’s on that foundation that France “determined to participate within the train organized by Denmark in Greenland.”
“Tariff threats are unacceptable and haven’t any place on this context,” Macron stated. “Europeans will reply in a united and coordinated method ought to they be confirmed. We’ll make sure that European sovereignty is upheld.”
Mr. Trump’s risk to impose tariffs on European nations “come as a shock,” Denmark’s overseas minister stated Saturday in a press release despatched to Agence France-Presse.
“The aim of the elevated army presence in Greenland, to which the president refers, is exactly to boost safety within the Arctic,” stated Danish Minister for Overseas Affairs Lars Lokke Rasmussen. “We’re in shut contact with the European Fee and our different companions on the matter.”
Different European leaders are additionally having discussions to kind a joint response, in response to Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. In a press release to AFP on Saturday, Kristersson stated, “We cannot let ourselves be intimidated.”
“I’ll all the time defend my nation and our allied neighbours,” he added, stressing that this was “a European query.”
U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated Saturday that NATO allies must be working collectively, including he might be speaking with the Trump administration straight concerning the tariff threats.
“Making use of tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective safety of NATO allies is totally fallacious,” Starmer stated in a press release.
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member international locations will convene for an emergency assembly on Sunday. The assembly was known as by Cyprus, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, in response to Reuters.
EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, stated in a joint assertion that Mr. Trump’s tariffs would “undermine transatlantic relations and danger a harmful downward spiral.”
“Europe will stay united, coordinated, and dedicated to upholding its sovereignty,” they stated, including that “the EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the folks of Greenland.”
“Dialogue stays important, and we’re dedicated to constructing on the method begun already final week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the U.S.,” they stated.
In a submit to LinkedIn, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for enterprise and mineral assets, praised the response of European leaders.
“I’m amazed to witness the primary responses from the focused international locations,” Nathanielsen wrote. “I’m grateful and looking forward to diplomacy and allieship to prevail.”
Trump’s curiosity in Greenland
Mr. Trump has stated he believes the U.S. wants to accumulate the island for nationwide safety causes. He has stated the island is significant for the Golden Dome missile protection system he intends to construct, and has expressed concern about Russia or China buying Greenland. The sparsely populated island is the situation of the northernmost U.S. army base and has reserves of oil, pure gasoline and minerals. Its northern place additionally means it’s close to beneficial transport routes which will turn out to be much more helpful as heat temperatures soften sea ice within the space.
Leaders of the semi-autonomous Danish territory have repeatedly acknowledged that the island will not be on the market, and residents of Greenland have protested a possible acquisition.
Mr. Trump’s submit got here as a bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation tried to reassure Greenlandic and Danish leaders throughout a go to to the Arctic island. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, stated that Greenland must be seen as a U.S. ally, “not as an asset.”
On Friday, Mr. Trump stated he was contemplating tariffs on international locations that “didn’t go together with” his plans to accumulate Greenland, although he didn’t supply specifics.
Greenlandic and Danish leaders met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance on the White Home on Wednesday to debate long-term safety in Greenland. Denmark and the U.S. nonetheless have “elementary” disagreements about Greenland’s future, Denmark’s overseas minister stated that afternoon, however a working group to debate cooperation was established. A Danish official advised CBS that Denmark supplied extra safety entry and higher protection funding. The official added that Denmark has set two issues as a pink line: territorial integrity and self-determination for Greenlanders.
The White Home has not dominated out the usage of army power to take the island, regardless of warnings from Denmark that doing so could be seen as a risk to the NATO alliance.
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