PALM BEACH/NUUK, JAN 18: US President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated his quest to acquire Greenland, threatening multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25 percent until he achieves his goal of controlling the Danish territory.
Trump’s threats came as thousands of people protested in the capital of Greenland against his wish to acquire the mineral-rich island at the gateway to the Arctic.
Thousands more protested in Copenhagen and other Danish cities.
The US president aimed his ire at Denmark, a fellow NATO member, as well as several other European countries that have deployed troops in recent days to the vast autonomous territory with a population of 57,000.
If realized, Trump’s threats against Washington’s NATO partners would create unprecedented tension within the alliance.
From February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10-percent tariff on all goods sent to the United States, Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%. This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” he wrote.
“These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” Trump said.
“Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question.”
Trump added that he was “immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries.”
Denmark called Trump’s announcement a “surprise,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “completely wrong,” and French President Emmanuel Macron added: “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context.”
“We won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told AFP, adding that the governments involved were working on a joint response.
In a statement, European Union leaders said the bloc “stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
An extraordinary meeting of EU ambassadors has been called in Brussels for Sunday afternoon.
Greenlandic minister Naaja Nathanielsen on Saturday praised the reaction of European countries, saying she was “thankful and hopeful for diplomacy and allieship (sic) to prevail.”
– ‘Make America Go Away’ –
In Nuuk, thousands of people, including the territory’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, waved Greenlandic flags, chanted slogans and sang traditional Inuit songs under light rain.
Many wore caps with the words “Make America Go Away” — a riff on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
“We don’t want Trump invading Greenland, that is the message,” 44-year-old nurse Paarniq Larsen Strum said at the Nuuk rally, calling the situation “nerve-wracking.”
“We demand respect for our country’s right to self-determination and for us as a people,” added protest organizer Avijaja Rosing-Olsen.
In Copenhagen, charity worker Kirsten Hjoernholm, 52, said it was important to show unity with Greenlanders.
“You cannot be bullied by an ally. It’s about international law,” she said.
Around her, demonstrators waved the flags of Denmark and Greenland while chanting “Kalaallit Nunaat!” — the vast Arctic island’s name in Greenlandic.
Some also held placards saying “USA already has too much ICE,” referring to Trump’s deployment of federal immigration officers in US cities, while others chanted “Greenland is not for sale.”
