‘It’s Blackmail’: Europe Pushes Back After Trump Slaps Tariff For Opposing Greenland’s Acquisition – Who Said What | World News

USA’s European Tariff: United States President Donald Trump has stepped up his long-standing interest in Greenland and announced that he will launch a progressive tax campaign against European countries that reject his effort to seize the vast Arctic region. The move triggered consultations across Europe and led to a rare display of unity among Washington’s closest allies.

The US president’s warning, delivered via Truth Social on Saturday, describes the dispute as both a financial showdown and a global security issue. He argued that the United States has long subsidized Denmark and other European countries by allowing them to export to American markets without additional trade penalties.

“After centuries, it’s time for Denmark to give back; World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland and there’s nothing Denmark can do about it,” Trump wrote.

He claimed that “the National Security of the United States and the world at large is at stake”, directly tying Greenland’s future to global power competition in the Arctic.

Under Trump’s plan, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face a 10 percent tariff on all exports to the United States starting February 1. This rate will increase to 25 percent on June 1.

“This Tariff shall be due and payable until an Agreement is reached for the Total and Complete purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote, emphasizing that trade penalties were clearly tied to the purchase of the island.

He also claimed that the effort was based on history. “The United States has been trying to do this for over 150 years. Many Presidents have tried, and for good reason, but Denmark has always refused.”

Europe’s Response to Economic Pressure

The response across Europe was immediate and coordinated. All 27 European Union member states are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting to discuss a collective response to Trump’s threat.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly rejected the idea that Greenland’s future could be negotiated through economic pressure. He wrote to X: “Our position on Greenland is very clear; it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes.”

“Imposing customs duties on allies in order to ensure the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. Of course, we will follow this directly with the US administration,” he said.

Our stance on Greenland is very clear; It is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes.

We have also made clear that Arctic Security is important for all of NATO and that allies must collectively do more to counter the threat… — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) January 17, 2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this stance, emphasizing unity and warning of wider consequences.

“The EU stands in full solidarity with the people of Denmark and Greenland. Dialogue is vital and we are determined to build on the process that started last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States,” he said in a post on X.

“Tariffs will undermine transatlantic relations and lead to a dangerous decline. Europe will remain united, coordinated and committed to preserving its sovereignty,” he said.

Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law.

These are essential for Europe and the international community as a whole.

We have consistently emphasized our common transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic: — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 17, 2026

European Council President Antonio Costa rebroadcast the same message, underlining institutional harmony at the highest levels of the European Union (EU).

Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. These are essential for Europe and the international community as a whole.

We have consistently emphasized our common transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, for example… — António Costa (@eucopresident) January 17, 2026

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas took aim at the geopolitical consequences of the dispute. “China and Russia must be having a good day. They are the ones who benefit from the division between the allies,” he wrote to X.

He added: “Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermining our shared prosperity.”

China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from the divisions among the Allies.

If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can solve this within NATO.

Tariffs risk impoverishing Europe and the United States even further and undermining our shared prosperity.

We too… — Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) January 17, 2026

Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel made one of the clearest assessments to date. Speaking on Dutch television, he said, “It is blackmail what he is doing, … and it is not necessary. It does not help the alliance [NATO] and it doesn’t help Greenland either.”

Danish and Greenlandic leaders have repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale; This has been echoed in growing public protests in Greenland against Trump’s crackdown. While the tone of the current standoff may seem unprecedented, the idea of ​​the United States taking control of Greenland is not new.

After purchasing Alaska from Russia in 1867, then Secretary of State William H Seward explored the possibility of purchasing Greenland. During World War II, the United States occupied Greenland and built military and radio facilities there following the German invasion of Denmark. This existence continues today at the Pituffik Cosmodrome in the northwest of the island.

In 1946, President Harry S Truman secretly offered Denmark $100 million while Greenland was still a Danish colony. Copenhagen rejected the proposal, which was only made public decades later in 1991.

Public opinion in the United States is skeptical. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that fewer than one in five Americans support the idea of ​​Washington buying Greenland.

As tariffs loom and diplomatic lines harden, the Greenland dispute has become a decisive test of transatlantic unity, NATO cohesion, and the balance between economic pressure and alliance policies in an increasingly contested Arctic.