European countries affirm unity in the face of Trump’s threats over Greenland.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Denmark had failed to do anything to remove the “Russian threat” from Greenland, adding, “The time for that is now, and it will be done.”
Trump repeatedly insisted that he would settle for nothing less than U.S. ownership of Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, while leaders of both Denmark and Greenland insist the island is not for sale and there is no desire for it to become part of the United States.
The eight European countries threatened by Trump with additional tariffs—because of their opposition to his ambitions to acquire Greenland—affirmed their unity on Sunday, while the European Union considered possible responses.
An emergency meeting of ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states began in Brussels Sunday evening, according to diplomatic sources. Although immediate results were not expected, the meeting allowed for an exchange of views on potential responses to Trump’s new threats, which had sparked strong reactions.
Meanwhile, Denmark’s foreign minister began a diplomatic tour including Norway, the United Kingdom, and Sweden—three allied NATO members—to discuss strengthening NATO’s role in Arctic security.
During his visit to Norway, Rasmussen warned that the global order and the “future” of NATO were at stake.
In a joint statement, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden declared, “Threats of tariffs undermine transatlantic relations and signal serious deterioration.” They added, “We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response, and we are committed to preserving our sovereignty.”
Trump escalated his rhetoric Saturday after European troops were deployed to the island in recent days as part of Danish military exercises.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said, “Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland went to Greenland for an unknown purpose. These countries, playing this extremely dangerous game, have taken on a level of risk that is unacceptable and unsustainable.”
Since returning to power a year ago, Trump has repeatedly spoken about taking control of the vast island located between North America and Europe, justifying it on grounds of national security amid Russian and Chinese advances in the Arctic.
Trump has also widely used trade restrictions as a tool in international relations, including with Washington’s traditional partners.
But his Saturday decision on tariffs marked an unprecedented step: the United States, a cornerstone of NATO, threatening its allies with sanctions in order to acquire a territory belonging to one of its partners.
On Saturday, thousands of people—particularly in Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital—protested against these territorial ambitions, chanting, “Greenland is not for sale.”