European leaders are pushing back sharply against President Donald Trump after he threatened to “punish” European countries standing in the way of the United States annexing Greenland, including by imposing new tariffs. British and French officials condemned what they called a “completely wrong” decision, while Greenlandic leaders welcomed the show of European support.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday night that “our position is clear: Greenland is part of Denmark, and its future is a matter for the people of Greenland and Denmark.” French President Emmanuel Macron echoed the message, calling Trump’s threats unacceptable. Starmer added that Britain has long stressed that security issues affecting NATO and its allies must be addressed collectively, particularly in the face of the threat posed by Russia.
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Trump and Greenland: ‘The White House bully’
(Photo: AFP, Chris Christophersen / shutterstock)
Macron wrote on X that if the tariffs Trump has threatened are approved, Europe will coordinate its response. “No intimidation or threat will influence us,” Macron said. “Not in Ukraine, not in Greenland, and not anywhere else in the world. Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place here. Europe will respond.”
Other British politicians also criticized Trump. According to The Guardian, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party issued a strong rebuke. “Tariffs would place an additional burden on businesses in our country,” Kemi Badenoch said, stressing that “Greenland’s sovereignty can only be determined by the people of Greenland.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey joined the criticism and also targeted Starmer, saying, “His policy toward the United States has failed. Trump is now punishing Britain and NATO allies for doing the right thing. It is time for the prime minister to stand firm against the White House bully and work with European allies to force him to back down from this reckless plan.”
In Greenland, officials welcomed the European response. Greenland’s Minister for Natural Resources Naaja Nathanielsen wrote on LinkedIn, “I am overwhelmed by the initial reactions from so many countries, and filled with gratitude and hope that diplomacy and alliances will prevail.” Trump has continued to pressure Denmark and European countries to allow the United States to annex Greenland. On Saturday, he announced his decision to impose new 10 percent tariffs on imports from several European countries starting February 1 unless they agree to the annexation.
According to Trump, the tariffs would remain in force “until such time as a deal is reached for the full and complete purchase of Greenland” by the United States. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said countries including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland would face a 10 percent tariff on “any and all” goods shipped to the United States. On June 1, he said, the tariffs would rise to 25 percent. Trump frequently uses tariffs as a tool of political pressure, both against U.S. allies and rivals. Last year, he stunned the international community by imposing sweeping tariffs on nearly every country in the world, including Israel. “I am the king of tariffs, and the king of tariffs did a great job,” he said over the weekend.
Greenland is an Arctic island larger than Mexico, with a population of about 57,000. It has belonged to Denmark for centuries but enjoys broad autonomy, and Denmark’s constitution grants it the right to declare independence if its residents so choose. Trump, who first floated the idea of buying Greenland during his first term, views the resource-rich island as a vital security asset in the Arctic, a region where Russia and China are seeking to expand their presence. Since returning to the White House in January last year, Trump has repeatedly raised the issue of annexing Greenland. In recent months, he has taken steps to signal the seriousness of his intentions, including appointing a special envoy for Greenland and sending his influential son, Donald Trump Jr., on a visit to the island.
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A show of force: The Danish Navy patrols near the capital, Nuuk
(Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/ AP)
In recent days, following the success of a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that toppled President Nicolas Maduro, Trump again turned to Greenland, issuing a series of statements that heightened concerns in Denmark and Greenland. Those concerns deepened after the White House released an official statement saying senior officials were discussing ways to take control of the island and stressing that a military option remains on the table. According to reports, the administration is also considering offering one-time financial grants to Greenland residents in an effort to persuade them to sever ties with Denmark and become dependents of the United States. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a U.S. attack on Greenland would lead to the collapse of NATO. Appearing at a news conference with Greenland’s local prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the two presented a united front against Trump’s threats. “If we are forced to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the European Union,” Nielsen said.
Trump has recently justified his desire to buy Greenland or seize it by force by arguing that Russia and China are eyeing the strategically important region and that if the United States does not take control, they will. Anything short of U.S. control, he claims, is unacceptable. Greenland, however, belongs to Denmark, which like the United States is a NATO member. An invasion by another member state would, in principle, obligate the rest of the alliance to come to Denmark’s defense. Frederiksen has warned that such a scenario could bring about the collapse of NATO itself.