Trump's Greenland tariff threat sparks outrage across Europe

European leaders have condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on eight allied nations that oppose his proposal to take control of Greenland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer labelled the move “completely wrong,” while French President Emmanuel Macron called it “unacceptable.”

The criticism came after Trump announced that a 10% tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland would come into force on 1 February. Trump also warned that tariffs could rise to 25% and remain until a deal is agreed for a US purchase of Greenland.

Trump claims the autonomous Danish territory is vital for US security and has not ruled out using force to obtain it.

In response, the European Union called an emergency meeting for 17:00 in Brussels (16:00 GMT) on Sunday. Ambassadors from all 27 EU members will attend, according to Reuters.

Protests have erupted in Greenland and Denmark, where thousands demonstrated against US plans to seize control of the island.

Greenland has a small population but significant natural resources, and its position between North America and the Arctic makes it strategically valuable for missile warning systems and maritime surveillance.

Trump has previously said the US would acquire Greenland “the easy way” or “the hard way.”

European countries have united behind Denmark, insisting Arctic security should be managed collectively by NATO.

France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK have dispatched limited military personnel to Greenland as part of a reconnaissance deployment.

Unveiling the tariffs on Truth Social, Trump accused the nations of playing “a very dangerous game,” saying that global “Safety, Security, and Survival” was at stake. The tariffs, he added, would rise to 25% in June and continue “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

Prime Minister Starmer vowed to challenge the US directly. UK opposition leaders also criticised the plan. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the tariffs were a “terrible idea,” while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned they “will hurt us.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey described Trump’s behaviour as “unhinged.” Green MP Ellie Chowns accused Trump of trying to bully other nations.

Macron also rejected the threat: “Tariff threats are unacceptable... We will not be swayed by any intimidation.” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said his country “won’t let ourselves be blackmailed,” adding that EU nations were discussing a joint response.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that territorial integrity is a core principle of international law and warned the tariffs risk “a dangerous downward spiral.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that China and Russia stand to benefit from divisions within NATO.

European Council President Antonio Costa stressed Europe would firmly defend international law. Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen admitted Trump’s threats had “come as a surprise.”

Germany’s Manfred Weber, head of the European Parliament’s centre-right EPP group, warned that Trump’s stance may jeopardise the EU-US trade deal negotiated last year. The accord, still awaiting ratification, would impose a 15% US tariff on EU goods and open European markets to certain US exports at 0%. Weber said approval was impossible under current conditions.

However, US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz defended the proposal, arguing Denmark lacks the capacity to manage Greenland and that the territory would be “safer, stronger and more prosperous” under US control.

Trump has long championed tariffs as a tool to compel policy shifts abroad, but the announcement marks a major escalation in his campaign to obtain Greenland, despite local and regional resistance.

It remains unclear what triggered the sudden tariff implementation. The move came shortly after the US and Denmark agreed to establish a working group to discuss Greenland’s future—an outcome many diplomats viewed as a stabilising development.

Instead, Trump’s announcement has injected fresh urgency into the dispute and heightened strains with NATO partners.

In Washington, Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, vowed to introduce legislation to cancel the tariffs, saying Trump was “manufacturing a foreign crisis” and ignoring domestic concerns such as affordability.

Polls suggest that 85% of Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States.

Large demonstrations took place in Copenhagen and Nuuk on Saturday, days before the tariff announcement. In Denmark’s capital, protesters carried banners reading “Hands Off Greenland” and “Greenland for Greenlanders.” Inuit organisations demanded respect for Greenlandic self-determination.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined demonstrations in Nuuk, holding placards declaring “Greenland is not for sale” and “we shape our future,” as crowds marched on the US consulate.

The rallies coincided with a visit by US lawmakers to Copenhagen. Senator Chris Coons, leading the delegation, said Trump’s rhetoric was “not constructive.”