Trump threatens new tariffs on countries opposed to Greenland takeover as US lawmakers visit Denmark to ease tensions

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on countries that do not comply with his ambitions to annex Greenland.

Trump said at a White House meeting that he could impose tariffs on countries that disagree with Greenland, a self-governing territory controlled by Denmark.

He did not say which countries might face new tariffs or which authority he would approach to use the tariffs to achieve his goal.

Other countries besides Denmark and Greenland oppose his goals, and many in the United States have expressed skepticism about the acquisition. As Trump spoke, a bipartisan congressional delegation was visiting Greenland to show support for the region.

The 11-member group also included Republicans who expressed concerns about the president’s calls for the United States to somehow seize Greenland for national security reasons. In addition to their MPs, they also met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

The group’s leader, Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, said their trip was to listen to local people and take their views to Washington “to reduce the noise.”

Trump has referred to ideas of buying or taking the island by force, saying Greenland is vital to US security and that the US will do it “the easy way” or the “hard way”.

Speaking at the White House meeting on rural health services, Trump said, “I can impose tariffs on countries that do not comply with Greenland because we need Greenland for national security.”

Greenland is a sparsely populated but resource-rich region, and its location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems and monitoring of ships in the region in the event of missile attacks.

The United States currently has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at the Pituffik base, which has been operated by the United States since World War II.

According to current agreements with Denmark, the United States has the authority to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.

But Trump said the United States must “own” this region to properly defend it against possible Russian or Chinese attacks.

Denmark warned that military intervention would mean the end of NATO, the trans-Atlantic defense alliance in which the United States is the most effective partner.

NATO operates on the principle that allies should help each other in the event of an external attack; it was never faced with the option of one member using force against another.

European allies joined in support of Denmark.

They also said that the Arctic region is equally important to them and that the security of this region should be the joint responsibility of NATO, which includes the United States.

For this purpose, many countries, including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and England, sent a limited number of soldiers to Greenland on a reconnaissance mission.

French President Emmanuel Macron said “land, air and sea assets” would be sent soon.

The visit by the US Congress comes just days after high-level talks in Washington failed to persuade Trump to abandon his plans.

The delegation consists of senators and members of the US House of Representatives who are ardent supporters of NATO.

Although Coons and the majority of the delegation are Democratic opponents of Trump, the group also includes Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski.

When asked what elected members of Congress can do to stop Trump, Murkowski said Congress has a role in deciding on spending in the United States; This refers to lawmakers’ ability to withhold funding for military operations.

Greenlandic lawmaker Aaja Chemnitz said the meeting with US lawmakers left her “hopeful.” He told the BBC: “We need friends. We need allies.”

Asked about the wide gap between the view of the White House and the location of Greenland and Denmark, he said: “This is a marathon, not a short sprint.

“The pressure from the US is something we have seen since 2019. It would be naive to think that everything is over now.”

He added: “It changes almost hourly. So the more support we can get, the better.”

Murkowski is one of the sponsors of a bipartisan bill aimed at blocking the annexation of Greenland.

A Republican congressman also introduced a rival bill supporting annexation of the island.

Trump’s envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, told Fox News on Friday that the United States should be meeting with Greenland leaders, not Denmark.

“I believe there is an agreement that needs to be made and will be made when this is concluded,” he said.

“The President is serious. I think he’s put the signs down. He’s told Denmark what he’s looking for, and now it’s a matter of appointing a Secretary.” [of State Marco] Rubio and Vice President JD Vance make a deal.

“The United States has always been a welcoming party. We’re not going out there trying to conquer anyone or take over someone’s country. We’re saying, ‘Listen. We represent freedom. We represent economic power. We represent protection.’