President Donald Trump’s decision to threaten tariffs on NATO allies over Greenland has triggered an unusually sharp backlash from European leaders, escalating tensions across the alliance.
The president announced that eight European countries would face a 10% tariff on all goods entering the U.S. beginning Feb. 1 if they refuse to approve American control of Greenland.
Those countries include Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Netherlands, with Trump warning the tariff would rise to 25 percent by June 1 if no deal is reached.
European leaders moved quickly to condemn the threat, accusing Trump of coercion and warning that the move risks destabilizing NATO unity.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe would respond together, insisting that sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable principles.
Macron warned that “no intimidation nor threat” would influence European nations, whether over Ukraine, Greenland, or any other geopolitical dispute.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson went further, accusing Trump of attempting to blackmail allied nations and declaring that decisions over Greenland rest solely with Denmark and Greenland.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed that stance, stating Greenland’s future is a matter for Denmark and the Greenlandic people alone.
Starmer argued that imposing tariffs on allies engaged in collective NATO security efforts is fundamentally wrong and said Britain would confront the issue directly with Washington.
European Union leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen also weighed in, warning the tariff threat could trigger a dangerous economic spiral and undermine international law.
Despite the backlash, Trump defended the move, claiming the U.S. has subsidized Europe for decades while receiving little in return.
He framed the tariffs as necessary leverage, arguing that Greenland’s mineral wealth and strategic Arctic position are vital to American national security.
Trump also cited recent European military deployments to Greenland, including Danish F-35 training flights and French refueling operations, as justification for the pressure campaign, per the Daily Mail.
The president warned that foreign military activity near Greenland creates unacceptable global security risks that demand immediate and decisive action.
Trump has relied on emergency economic powers to impose the tariffs, a legal strategy already under scrutiny by multiple courts and the Supreme Court.
While NATO officials emphasized that Greenland already falls under the alliance’s defense umbrella, Trump insisted the proposed Golden Dome missile defense system cannot function fully without Greenland’s geography.
The standoff has highlighted long-standing tensions between Trump and NATO allies over defense spending, with the United States continuing to shoulder the bulk of the alliance’s military costs.
As European leaders coordinate a response, Trump made clear the tariffs will remain in place until an agreement on Greenland is secured, signaling that the confrontation is far from over.
