President Trump announced Saturday he will slap 10% tariffs on eight European nations unless Denmark agrees to the “complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
The tariffs would take effect Feb. 1 against Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, France, The Netherlands, Germany and the UK and would surge even higher if no deal is in place. The escalation comes as the president continues to press Denmark to sell the territory he has identified as a mineral-rich strategic asset.
“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump wrote in his lengthy Truth Social post on Saturday.
Trump slammed Europe for “playing a very dangerous game,” after several sent troops to boost island security and signal support following tense talks between Denmark, Greenland and the US.
President Trump ratcheted up pressure in his bid to acquire Greenland using US trade might – threatening to slap a new 10% tariff on key allies until a deal to takeover the territory is reached. AFP via Getty Images
“Only the United States of America, under President Donald J. Trump, can play in this game,” he added.
And he mocked Greenland’s defense as consisting of “two dogsleds as protection, one added recently.”
The tariffs would climb to 25% on June 1 if there is still no deal for Greenland in place.
President Donald J. Trump threatens 10% tariffs on allies to force Greenland sale. Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images
Both Germany and the UK are among the top trading partners for the US, as is the European Union when taken as a bloc.
Trump last year already imposed a 15% tariffs on French and German goods, while the UK faces a 10% tariff baseline following separate negotiations. The new tariff is expected to go on top.
The countries have “put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” Trump said.
And he noted the U.S. has subsidized Denmark and other EU nations for years by not imposing tariffs — while providing them “maximum protection.”
Greenland acts as a self-governing territory of Denmark, which is part of NATO.
Trump has long argued that it is insufficiently defended and is at risk by China and Russia, although the US already has a Space Force base on Greenland and is allowed by current treaties to expand its footprint.
Trump slammed Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, and the UK for sending troops to Greenland. Getty Images
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen posted Thursday that “Greenland is not for sale. Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States.
Greenland does not want to be governed from the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.” Protesters rallied in Copenhagen Saturday against the move.
The U.S. Coast Guard helped set up Greenland’s dog sledge patrol in 1941 to hunt for Nazi weather stations, but Trump says the island’s defenses are far short of what’s needed now.
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The latest European deployment, which appears to have infuriated Trump, includes 15 French soldiers taking part in a military exercise, with Germany saying it will deploy a reconnaissance team of 13, with Denmark beefing up its own military deployment.
As part of the show of strength dubbed “Operation Arctic Endurance,” Danish US-made F-35 fighters and French tankers conducted precision air-to-air refueling over Greenland, according to a video release by Danish Defence Friday.
The exercise was an effort to demonstrate Denmark’s ability along with allies to defend the territory, despite Trump’s claim that Greenland was at risk of incursions.
Tariffs begin Feb. 1, escalating to 25% by June 1 if no deal is made. Getty Images
“The first French military elements are already on their way. Others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron posted Jan. 13.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House Wednesday, said afterward that a “fundamental disagreement” remains.
“The President’s statement comes as a surprise,” Rasmussen posted on X Saturday afternoon. “Earlier this week, we had a constructive meeting with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio. The purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the President refers, is to enhance security in the Arctic.”
Trump telegraphed his Saturday move in comments from the White House the day before. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” he warned.
Whether tariffs will survive in their current form as a pressure tool is uncertain. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on whether Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs are constitutional. Economic advisor Kevin Hassett said Friday that Trump has a “backup plan” for 10% across-the-board tariffs if they get struck down.