US President Donald Trump says he plans to hit several European countries with tariffs over their opposition to Washington taking control of Greenland, a move that has quickly escalated tensions around the Arctic territory. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that starting February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would face 10 percent tariffs on goods exported to the US, with that rate rising to 25% from June 1. He said the tariffs would stay in place until there is a deal for the “complete and total purchase” of Greenland.
Trump framed the decision as a national security issue. He argued that Greenland’s location and mineral resources make it critical to US interests. He also warned that China and Russia have ambitions in the region and claimed Denmark is powerless to stop a US takeover. Trump has previously suggested he might use force if necessary, though this time he described tariffs as a way to pressure other countries into negotiations.
The reaction in Europe was swift and negative. UK Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch called the plan “a terrible idea,” warning that tariffs would drive up costs for both citizens and businesses. She said Greenland’s sovereignty should remain with its 57,000 residents, a position that was echoed by Keir Starmer.
Some observers say Trump’s focus on Greenland feels like a distraction at a time when the world is facing more urgent problems. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who served as Denmark’s prime minister from 2001 to 2009, said the US was treating Greenland as a “weapon of mass distraction.” He criticized Trump’s aggressive rhetoric and compared it to gangster tactics, urging Washington to focus instead on major international security threats rather than targeting a close ally.
Trump’s insistence that Greenland is essential to US security also runs directly against the views of people who actually live there. A January 2025 poll found that 85% of Greenland’s population oppose joining the United States, while only six percent support it. Despite this, Trump has signaled that tariffs and other pressure tactics will continue until the US achieves its goal of controlling the Arctic island.
He has also tried to justify the tariffs by saying the US has long subsidized Denmark and other EU countries through trade benefits and military protection. He argued that these measures are overdue compensation. Trump ended by saying Washington remains open to talks with Denmark or any other affected nation to resolve the dispute, presenting the issue as critical to “world peace.”