Trump Escalates Greenland Push with Tariff Threats Against Key Allies

Faktain News – President Donald Trump has unequivocally stated his commitment to imposing significant tariffs on European nations that resist his demand to acquire Greenland. This declaration intensifies a growing diplomatic crisis, pitting the US against a united front of European allies determined to protect Greenland’s sovereignty.

European leaders have swiftly rallied in support of Greenland’s status. Denmark’s foreign minister firmly asserted that the US president cannot simply intimidate his way into owning the semi-autonomous Danish territory. The United Kingdom also weighed in, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterating Britain’s stance that Greenland’s future rests solely with “Greenlanders and for the Danes alone” to decide.

Threat of Force Not Ruled Out, Tariffs Loom

On Monday, Mr. Trump conspicuously avoided ruling out military action in pursuit of Greenland. When pressed by NBC News on the potential use of force to seize the island, he simply responded, “No comment.” Concurrently, the President insisted he would proceed with his threatened tariffs on goods originating from the UK and seven other NATO-allied countries.

The punitive tariffs are outlined as follows:

• Britain will face a 10% tariff on “any and all goods” exported to the US starting February 1.
• This tariff will escalate to 25% from June 1.
• These measures will remain in effect until a deal is struck for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.

Similar tariffs will target Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland. All these nations are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the defense alliance established in 1949. Asked if he would indeed follow through on these tariff threats, Mr. Trump told NBC News he would “100%” do so.

Europe Urged to Focus on Ukraine, Nato Stability Questioned

President Trump also offered pointed advice to Europe, suggesting they ought to concentrate on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He commented, “frankly, you see what that’s gotten them… That’s what Europe should focus on – not Greenland.”

Denmark has issued a stark warning that any US military intervention in Greenland would spell the effective end of NATO. In recent days, Greenland has garnered significant support from European members of the alliance. Some nations even deployed a handful of troops to Greenland last week in a move widely interpreted as symbolic solidarity. However, President Trump’s subsequent announcement of tariffs on eight NATO allies directly countered this show of support.

Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen emphasized that Europe must demonstrate to President Trump that tariff threats are “not the way forward.” He told Sky News,

“We have red lines that can’t be crossed. You can’t threaten your way to ownership of Greenland. I have no intention of escalating this situation.”

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte affirmed the alliance’s continued commitment to working with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security.

EU Summit and Nobel Prize Controversy

The European Union is preparing to hold an emergency summit for its leaders in Brussels on Thursday. The agenda will focus on formulating a unified response to Trump’s latest push to acquire Greenland. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, stated that while the bloc has “no interest to pick a fight, but we will hold our ground.” Kallas added, “But trades threats are not the way to go about this. Sovereignty is not for trade.”

Further complicating diplomatic relations, text message exchanges between Trump and the Norwegian prime minister were released. These messages reveal that on Sunday, the US president attributed his failure to receive the Nobel Peace Prize to Norway. In his reply, seen by the BBC, Jonas Gahr Støre clarified that an independent committee, not the Norwegian government, bestows the award. Last October, the prize was awarded to Venezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado.

Støre further underscored Norway’s clear position on Greenland, stating, “Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter.” President Trump addressed the text message exchange during his Monday interview, insisting, “Norway totally controls it [the Nobel Prize] despite what they say. They like to say they have nothing to do with it, but they have everything to do with it.”

Norad Activities in Greenland Deemed Routine

Concurrently, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced on Monday that multiple aircraft are en route to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. The joint US-Canada military defense organization stressed these movements are part of a routine operation “to support various long-planned Norad activities.” They also confirmed that these activities have been coordinated with Denmark, and the government of Greenland has been informed. Similar NORAD operations have taken place at the base in 2022, 2023, and last year.