By Ginika Igboke
European Union leaders said after an emergency meeting on Jan. 18 that their countries are prepared to defend themselves following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose new tariffs on Europe as part of his push to gain control of Greenland.
After the talks, EU Council President António Costa said member states agreed that the tariffs “would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU–U.S. trade agreement.” He added that leaders expressed a clear “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.” Costa is expected to convene a full summit of EU leaders later this week.
The meeting came amid renewed pressure from Trump to acquire Greenland, which he has described as vital to U.S. national security because of its strategic location and natural resources. Trump has argued that adversaries such as Russia or China could move to expand their influence in the Arctic if the United States does not act.
In a Truth Social post on Jan. 17, Trump said he plans to impose a 10 percent tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland beginning Feb. 1. The tariffs would rise to 25 percent on June 1 “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” He warned that “world peace is at stake” if the United States fails to secure control of the island.
“This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump wrote, reiterating his claim that China or Russia could otherwise take control of Greenland.
The eight European countries affected, which are already subject to U.S. tariffs ranging from 10 to 15 percent, have also deployed a small military presence to Greenland. In a joint statement on Jan. 18, the group said tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk “a dangerous downward spiral.”
The countries said the deployment is intended to strengthen Arctic security “as a shared transatlantic interest” and poses no threat to any nation. They emphasized their readiness for dialogue with the United States “based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” adding, “We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her government has been in intensive talks with allies since Trump’s tariff announcement. “It is all the more important that we stand firm on the fundamental values that created the European community,” she said in a written statement. “We want to cooperate, and we are not the ones seeking conflict… Europe will not be blackmailed.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson echoed that message in a Jan. 17 social media post, saying that only Denmark and Greenland can decide issues concerning the territory. He described the dispute as an EU-wide issue and said Sweden is holding intensive discussions with EU partners, Norway, and the United Kingdom to coordinate a response.
Greenland Governance and U.S. Talks
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, at the White House on Jan. 14. Rasmussen later described the talks as “frank but also constructive.”
Trump said on Jan. 16 that he is considering additional tariffs on European allies “if they don’t go along” with allowing the United States to purchase Greenland. He has noted that U.S. interest in the island dates back more than 150 years, with early discussions occurring during the administration of President Andrew Johnson in the 1860s.
The U.S. president has also pointed to estimates of significant rare-earth mineral deposits on the island as another reason Greenland would be a valuable acquisition.
Greenland, which was under Danish control from the early 1700s, gained home rule in the 1970s and expanded autonomy under the Self-Government Act of 1979. Full self-governance was achieved in 2009, though Denmark still oversees foreign and defense policy.
On Jan. 9, Greenlandic officials, including Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and leaders of multiple political parties, issued a statement reaffirming the island’s sovereignty and rejecting any external claims over its future.
“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” the statement said. “The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenlandic people. No other country can interfere in this.”
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