Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat Triggers Coordinated Backlash from NATO Allies
The United States’s threat to impose tariffs on eight European NATO members over the status of Greenland has triggered a coordinated and sharp international backlash, significantly escalating transatlantic tensions. Leaders of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement warning the move risks a "dangerous downward spiral" and undermines relations. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared that "Europe won't be blackmailed," framing the tariff threat as an unacceptable form of economic coercion. The countries collectively affirmed they "stand in full solidarity" with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland, firmly backing the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The dispute centers on President Donald Trump’s repeated ambition to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, which he frames as a critical U.S. national security issue to counter perceived threats from Russia and China. In response, European officials have stressed that Arctic security is a shared NATO interest and that the recent allied military exercise in Greenland, "Arctic Endurance," was defensive and not a provocation. The diplomatic fallout was broad, drawing criticism even from traditional Trump allies in Europe, such as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who called the tariffs "a mistake." EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that the division primarily benefits geopolitical rivals China and Russia.
The crisis prompted an emergency meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels and sparked public protests in Greenland and Denmark. Officials in Europe and Canada, which also expressed concern, emphasized that any decisions about Greenland's future rest solely with its people and Denmark. There are immediate legal and practical questions about implementing the proposed 10% tariff, which is scheduled to start on February 1, potentially rising to 25% in June. The strong, unified response highlights the severe strain on the NATO alliance and raises the specter of retaliatory trade measures, marking a significant escalation in global trade tensions.
