President Donald Trump said he would introduce 10% tariffs on imports from several European allies for sending troops to take part in military exercises in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark that he has repeatedly threatened to annex.
“Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday.
“Starting on February 1st, 2026, all of the above mentioned Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any goods sent to the United States of America,” he added
Trump added that the tariff would increase to 25% on June 1, and would remain in effect “until a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”
His comments came as thousands rallied on Saturday in the Danish cities of Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense, as well as in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, to oppose Trump’s annexation plans. In Nuuk, hundreds marched to the U.S. consulate, some holding signs that read “Greenland is not for sale.”
The tariff announcement drew unusually blunt reactions from the leaders of some of America’s closest allies.
“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong,” British Prime Minister Starmer said, adding that he would raise the issue directly with the White House.
“Our position on Greenland is very clear, it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” he continued.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the tariffs “unacceptable.”
“No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations,” he said.
Trump has argued that anything less than total U.S. control of Greenland would be “unacceptable, ” and has said that annexing the territory is necessary for “national security.”
European nations, meanwhile, have expressed fierce opposition to the U.S. takeover of Greenland.
Earlier this week, Denmark increased its military presence on the island and conducted joint military exercises with the European allies targeted by Trump’s tariffs.
Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, told reporters during a visit to Washington this week that Denmark was reinforcing security in the Arctic “by committing additional funds for military capabilities—not dogsleds, but ships, drones, fighter jets, etc,” referring to an often-repeated jibe by Trump that Denmark’s military presence on the island consisted entirely of dogsleds.
Several European NATO allies announced they were also sending military personnel to the island after Danish representatives emerged from meetings at the White House, declaring they had “fundamental disagreements” with the Trump administration over who should control Greenland.
Announcing France’s involvement in the military exercises in Greenland, Macron took aim at Trump’s ambitions.
“We live in a world where destabilizing powers have awakened,” Macron said.
“We are seeing certainties that sometimes lasted for decades being called into question, and Europe is being shaken in some of its certainties,” he said. Europe “sometimes has allies that we thought were predictable, always by our side, who are now causing us to have serious doubts, or even turning on those who doubted the least.”
The United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Norway have also sent troops to take part in the military exercise, Operation Arctic Endurance.
Greenland’s leaders and people have been clear in their opposition to the possibility of the U.S. taking control of the territory.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said this week that the island would choose Denmark over the U.S. if it had to choose, while polls show that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose the idea of becoming part of the U.S.
“Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric. We are a people. A land. And democracy,” Nielsen said earlier this month. “This has to be respected. Especially by close and loyal friends.”
Trump has frequently used tariffs as a foreign policy tool during his second term, negotiating deals with India, China, and the U.K. to lower tariffs in exchange for concessions on his policy priorities.
(Time)
