‘It’s Blackmail’: Europe Pushes Back After Trump Slaps Tariff For Opposing Greenland’s Acquisition – Who Said What

The European Union moves toward an emergency response as Donald Trump ties sweeping tariffs to his long-standing bid to acquire Greenland.

US Tariff On Europe: United States President Donald Trump has raised the stakes in his long-running interest in Greenland, announcing a phased tariff campaign against European nations that reject his push to acquire the vast Arctic territory. The move triggered consultations across Europe and prompted rare display of unity among Washington’s closest allies.

Delivered through Truth Social on Saturday, the US president’s warning describes the dispute as both a financial reckoning and a global security issue. He argued that the United States has long subsidised Denmark and other European countries by allowing their exports into American markets without additional trade penalties.

“Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back – World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it,” Trump wrote.

He went on to claim that “the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake”, linking Greenland’s future directly to global power competition in the Arctic.

Under Trump’s plan, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will face a 10 percent tariff on all exports to the United States beginning February 1. It will rise to 25 percent on June 1.

“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote, reinforcing that the trade penalties are explicitly tied to the acquisition of the island.

He also claimed the effort was rooted in history. “The United States has been trying to do this transaction for over 150 years. Many Presidents have tried, and for good reason, but Denmark has always refused.”

Europe’s Reaction To The Economic Presure

The reaction across Europe was immediate and coordinated. All 27 European Union member states are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting to discuss a collective response to Trump’s threat.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly rejected the idea that Greenland’s future could be negotiated through economic pressure. “Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” he wrote on X.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration,” he said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed that position, emphasising unity and warning of broader consequences.

“The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland. Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US,” she said in a post on X.

“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” she posted.

European Council President Antonio Costa reposted the same message, highlighting institutional alignment at the highest levels of the European Union (EU).

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas took aim at the geopolitical implications of the dispute. “China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among Allies,” she wrote on X.

She added, “Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.”

From the Netherlands, Foreign Minister David van Weel offered one of the bluntest assessments so far. Speaking on Dutch television, he said, “It is blackmail what he is doing, … and it is not necessary. It does not help the alliance [NATO] and it also does not help Greenland.”

Denmark and Greenland’s leadership have repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale, a position echoed by growing public protests in Greenland over Trump’s push. While the present standoff feels unprecedented in tone, the idea of the United States seeking control of Greenland is not new.

After purchasing Alaska from Russia in 1867, then–Secretary of State William H Seward explored the possibility of buying Greenland. During the World War II, the United States occupied Greenland following Germany’s invasion of Denmark and built military and radio facilities there. That presence continues today at the Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest.

In 1946, President Harry S Truman secretly offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland while it was still a Danish colony. Copenhagen rejected the proposal, which only became public decades later in 1991.

Public opinion in the United States is sceptical. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that fewer than one in five Americans support the idea of Washington acquiring Greenland.

As tariffs loom and diplomatic lines harden, the Greenland dispute has evolved into a defining test for transatlantic unity, NATO cohesion and the balance between economic pressure and alliance politics in an increasingly contested Arctic.