Eight European nations issued a strongly worded joint statement Sunday condemning the Trump administration’s latest escalation in the Greenland dispute, as the president threatened a 10 percent tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.
The leaders of the eight countries stood in “full solidarity” with Denmark and Greenland, according to their joint statement, while warning that tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.
The crisis intensified after these NATO members deployed small military contingents to Greenland last week to participate in a Danish-led Arctic exercise called Operation Arctic Endurance. Trump announced Saturday that the 10 percent tariff would start February 1, rising to 25 percent on June 1 and remaining until a deal is reached for the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
European Council President Antonio Costa announced he will convene an extraordinary meeting of all 27 EU nations later this week in response to what European leaders characterized as an existential threat to the transatlantic alliance.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said “Europe will not be blackmailed”, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the tariff threat “completely wrong,” adding that Greenland’s future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the tariff threats as unacceptable, stating that no intimidation or threat will influence European nations. A French official confirmed Monday that Macron will request activation of the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, a mechanism that would allow severe restrictions on U.S. goods and services.
The standoff comes amid massive protests in Greenland, where thousands gathered in the capital Nuuk this weekend for a demonstration against American pressure. An estimated quarter of the city’s population participated in marches with banners reading “Yankee Go Home” and “Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people.”
Greenlandic politicians have collectively and repeatedly rejected U.S. acquisition proposals. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said connecting Greenland with military intervention is “not just wrong, it’s so disrespectful.”
Trump has argued that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for national security, citing Chinese and Russian threats in the Arctic. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that if the United States were to use force, it would legitimize Russia’s attempted invasion of Ukraine and would be “the death knell for NATO”.
European leaders are working with members of the U.S. Congress to prevent any potential action on Greenland. A bipartisan congressional delegation is currently visiting Denmark and Greenland to convey that there is no congressional support for a takeover.
One potential casualty of the tariff threat may be the U.S.-EU trade deal agreed last year, which the European Parliament was set to debate this week. The leader of the largest group in the assembly, Manfred Weber, said approval is not possible at this stage given Trump’s threats.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Sunday he spoke with Trump about the issue and will continue working on it when they meet at the World Economic Forum in Davos later this week.
The crisis represents what analysts describe as a fundamental shift in transatlantic relations, with European officials acknowledging they have lost all illusions about treating the United States as a reliable partner.
