ReutersDanish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that “Europe will not be blackmailed” by Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Greenland.
The US president said he would impose a new 10% tax on goods from eight allied countries if they opposed his proposed takeover of the autonomous Danish territory.
Frederiksen and other European leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday, saying the tariffs risked being “undermined.”[ing] Transatlantic relations risk a serious deterioration.
Trump said on Monday that NATO “has been telling Denmark for 20 years that you have to keep the Russian threat out of Greenland.” It is unfortunate that Denmark has not been able to do anything about it. Now is the time, it will be done!!!”
Trump insists that Greenland is important to US security, and has previously said that Washington will get the region “the easy way” or “the hard way.” He did not rule out the use of force, which sparked widespread criticism.
Trump said on Saturday that new tariffs – taxes on imports – would be imposed on Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
He added that the initial 10% tariffs would take effect on February 1 “on any and all goods” sent to the United States, but they could rise to 25% in June.
He wrote on his Truth Social platform that the fee “will be due and payable until an agreement is reached for the full and complete purchase of Greenland.”
In their joint statement, the leaders of those eight countries reaffirmed their “full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
They also stressed their commitment to “promoting security in the Arctic as a common transatlantic interest” as members of the NATO military alliance.
“We are ready to engage in dialogue on the basis of the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, which we strongly support,” the statement read.
Separately, Frederiksen wrote on Facebook: “We want cooperation and are not the ones seeking conflict. I am happy about the constant messages from the rest of the continent: Europe will not be blackmailed.”
“It is very important that we stand firm on the fundamental values created by the European Community.”
Elsewhere on Sunday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the threat of tariffs was… “Totally wrong”.
Sir Keir, who has so far maintained a strong relationship with Trump, said the UK would follow up directly with the White House.
Greenland is a sparsely populated but resource-rich region. Its location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems in the event of missile attacks and to monitor ships in the region.
“Greenland can only be defended if it is part of the United States, and there would be no need to defend it if it were part of the United States,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“I think the Europeans will understand that this is what is best for Greenland, what is best for Europe and what is best for the United States,” he said.
Speaking to the BBC’s NewsHour programme, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said mutual respect for sovereignty is a “non-negotiable” principle of international law and cooperation.
He added, “If we want to live in peace and if we want to be able to cooperate on common problems, we have to start with mutual recognition of the other party’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
It remains unclear how the tariffs will affect those that Trump has already imposed on the United Kingdom and the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron, who is coordinating the European response to the tariff threats, said he would ask the EU to activate the “anti-coercion instrument” if Trump imposes it.
The US President is scheduled to speak at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday on the topic: “How can we cooperate in a more contentious world?” Macron, in addition to German and European Union leaders, will attend the annual conference.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will also be present, said his country is “concerned by the recent escalation” and will “work to significantly increase security in the Arctic – strengthening our military and investing in critical infrastructure.”
“Canada strongly believes that the best way to secure the Arctic is to work together within NATO,” he also wrote on X.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Rutte said he spoke with Trump “regarding the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic.”
He added: “We will continue to work on this matter, and I look forward to seeing him in Davos later this week.”
EPA/ShutterstockPublic anger in both Denmark and Greenland over Trump’s threats over Greenland appears to have not diminished. Demonstrations against Trump’s takeover plans were held in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, on Saturday – before the tariff announcement – as well as in Danish cities.
These marches coincided with the visit of a delegation from the US Congress to Copenhagen. Its leader, Democratic Senator Chris Coons, said Trump’s speech was “not constructive.”
The island’s representative to the United States said that the last time Greenlanders were asked whether they wanted to be part of the United States, in January 2025, only 6% were in favor, while 85% were against.
A recent opinion poll indicates that most Americans also oppose US control of Greenland. A Reuters/Ipsos poll, released last Wednesday, indicated that only 17% of Americans support US control of Greenland, compared to 47% who said they oppose Trump’s efforts to seize the island.