Europe pushes back hard against Trump’s Greenland tariff threats
Britain, France, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark rally around EU unity, warning Washington that trade pressure will not sway sovereignty decisions over the Arctic island.
European leaders mounted a united front on Saturday after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on European countries that oppose his push to acquire Greenland, warning that trade coercion would trigger a coordinated response.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Donald Trump's threat to impose swingeing tariffs on European allies opposing his efforts to acquire Greenland as "completely wrong".
"Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration," Starmer said in a statement.
"We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of Nato and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic," he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron said tariff threats were “unacceptable” and vowed Europe would respond together if they were carried out.
“We will make sure that European sovereignty is respected,” Macron wrote on X, stressing that economic pressure had no place in the dispute.
Germany, Sweden signal collective action
Germany signaled collective action, with a government spokesman saying Europeans would decide on “appropriate responses” at the right time, underscoring Berlin’s support for a unified EU approach to any US trade measures.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson echoed the defiance, saying Europe would not be intimidated.
“Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them,” he said, calling the issue a broader European matter.
Kristersson added that Sweden was in intensive talks with EU partners, Norway and the UK to coordinate a joint response.
Denmark is in “close contact with European partners”
Denmark, which retains sovereignty over Greenland, expressed surprise at Trump’s tariff threats.
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the increased military presence in Greenland cited by Trump was aimed at strengthening Arctic security, not provoking confrontation.
He added that Copenhagen was in close contact with the European Commission and allied partners following recent talks in Washington.
Trump has repeatedly argued that US control of Greenland is vital for national security, linking the issue to potential tariffs on European goods. European leaders, however, made clear that sovereignty and security decisions would not be dictated by economic pressure.