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European leaders issued a unified rebuke Sunday against US President Donald Trump's threat to impose sweeping tariffs on eight nations unless Denmark cedes control of Greenland to the United States, warning that the ultimatum jeopardizes decades of transatlantic partnership and could trigger a damaging trade war.
Trump on Saturday threatened to impose 10-percent tariffs on goods from Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland starting February 1, escalating to 25 percent by June 1 unless an agreement is reached for what he called the "Complete and Total purchase of Greenland." The autonomous Danish territory has been the subject of repeated acquisition attempts by Trump since he returned to the White House for a second term.
In a rare joint statement, the eight targeted nations declared they "stand united" against the threat. "Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," the countries warned.
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Trump's ultimatum threatened the world order "as we know it" and the future of NATO. Speaking during a visit to Norway on Sunday, Rasmussen was conducting consultations that will also take him to Britain and Sweden to discuss Arctic security policy among alliance members.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed he had spoken with Trump about "the security situation in Greenland and the Arctic" and expressed hope for further discussions at this week's Davos summit, though he did not elaborate on the conversation's content.
The European Union convened an extraordinary meeting of ambassadors in Brussels on Sunday to coordinate a response. The bloc had reached an agreement with Washington in July that set most EU exports to face a 15-percent US levy, but the relationship between that deal and Trump's new threats remained unclear.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told ARD television that he did not believe the July agreement remained viable under current circumstances. Aides to French President Emmanuel Macron said he would ask the EU to activate its never-before-used "anti-coercion instrument" if Trump follows through on the additional tariffs. The mechanism allows the EU to restrict imports of goods and services into its market of 27 countries and 450 million people.
Trump and his administration have justified their Greenland pursuit on "national security" grounds, arguing that Denmark would be unable to defend the territory from potential Russian or Chinese aggression despite being a NATO ally. In response, Denmark and several European NATO partners recently deployed small numbers of military personnel to Greenland for an exercise that included US participation. German soldiers were seen departing Greenland on Sunday after completing a reconnaissance mission.
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Thousands demonstrated in Greenland and Denmark on Saturday against US designs on the Arctic island, with many protesters wearing caps reading "Make America Go Away," a play on Trump's signature slogan. The backlash extended even to Trump's closest European allies, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calling new sanctions a mistake during a trip to Seoul. She said she had spoken with Trump hours earlier to convey her position.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump's threat "completely wrong" and pledged to discuss the matter with the US president "at the earliest opportunity." Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel characterized the tariff ultimatum as "inexplicable" blackmail.
Trump's increasingly aggressive rhetoric toward Greenland has intensified since he ordered a military operation against Venezuela earlier this month aimed at capturing its leader, Nicolas Maduro. The Greenland campaign represents one of several territorial ambitions Trump has expressed since beginning his second term, raising concerns about a fundamental shift in US foreign policy toward traditional allies.
France's Agricultural Minister Annie Genevard warned that tariffs would harm American interests as well. "In this escalation of tariffs, (Trump) has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists," she told broadcasters.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store urged restraint, telling NRK television that a trade war "would lead to a downward spiral" with no winners. Norway, which like Britain is not an EU member but faces Trump's tariff threat, said it was not currently considering retaliatory measures against US goods.
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