BRUSSELS, Belgium — US President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated tensions with European allies, declaring that the United States will impose punitive tariffs on several Nato partners until a deal is reached for what he termed the “complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
In a statement posted on his Truth Social account, Trump accused Denmark and European Union countries of endangering global security, insisting that only the United States can safeguard Greenland from what he described as threats from China and Russia.
“World Peace is at stake. China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it,” Trump said, claiming Denmark currently has “two dogsleds” for protection.
Trump announced that beginning February 1, 2026, the United States will impose a 10pc tariff on all goods imported from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, with the rate set to rise to 25pc on June 1 if negotiations do not result in a deal.
“This tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump said.
He argued that the tariffs were justified by what he called decades of US security subsidies to Europe, insisting that European countries had “journeyed to Greenland for purposes unknown,” creating what he described as an “untenable and unsustainable” security risk.
The dispute centres on Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark that holds strategic significance due to its location in the Arctic and its mineral resources.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is essential to US missile defence systems and referred to the territory as critical to what he called the “Golden Dome” global security architecture.
European governments have countered that Greenland’s future is a matter of self-determination and cannot be dictated through economic coercion.
Opinion polls show that 85 per cent of Greenlanders oppose joining the United States.
Over the weekend, thousands of protesters demonstrated in Greenland and Denmark, with placards reading “Greenland is not for sale” and “Hands off Greenland.”
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined demonstrators in Nuuk, reinforcing opposition to any US takeover.
Instead, Trump’s tariff ultimatum has injected new urgency into the crisis, deepening strains with key Nato allies as European leaders prepare to confront the issue at the World Economic Forum in Davos later this week.
