The United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on Feb. 1, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (Jan. 17, local time).
Those tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1 and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media.
Subsequently, multiple countries issued statements in response.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday slammed US tariff threats over Greenland as "unacceptable," stressing that Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed.
Macron also said on his X account that France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of nations, adding that it was on this basis that France has decided to take part in the exercise organized by Denmark in Greenland. "No intimidation or threat will influence us," he underscored.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that US President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on allies was "completely wrong."
"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," Starmer said in a statement. "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 U.S. administration," he said.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Saturday rejected a US tariff threat over Greenland, emphasizing that "We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed."
Kristersson wrote on the social media platform X that only Denmark and Greenland can decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. "I will always defend my country, as well as our allies and neighbors," he added. He also stressed that "This is an EU issue that concerns many more countries than those now being singled out. Sweden is now having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the UK for a joint response."
In a statement, German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said that Berlin has taken note of the US president's comments. Germany is in close coordination with its European partners and a decision on the appropriate response will be made jointly in due course, he said.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he was surprised by the tariff threat and noted Denmark was in close contact with the European Commission, according to Ritzau.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called the threats "unacceptable" in comments to national news agency NTB, saying threats have no place among allies and reiterating Norway's support for the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said issues among allies are best resolved through discussion, not pressure, warning that tariffs could harm transatlantic relations and trigger a dangerous downward spiral.
At the EU level, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa warned in a joint statement that tariffs linked to Greenland would undermine transatlantic ties and risk a "dangerous downward spiral."
They underlined that territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law, and said Europe would remain "united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty."
Cyprus, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said late Saturday it had called an emergency meeting for Sunday, with ambassadors from the EU's 27 member states set to convene to coordinate next steps.
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