Trump Imposes 10% Tariff on Eight European Nations Over Opposition to US Control of Greenland

By: Israel Adeleke

President Donald Trump has said that the United States will impose a 10 per cent import tariff on goods from eight European countries beginning in February, escalating tensions with key NATO allies over their opposition to American control of Greenland.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that in a social media post on Saturday, Trump announced that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will be subject to the new tariff.

He added that the levy will rise sharply to 25 per cent by June 1 if no agreement is reached for what he describes as the “complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.

OTN News further reports as gathered that the threat marked a significant and potentially destabilising escalation in Trump’s long-running dispute with European allies, further straining the NATO alliance formed in 1949 to provide collective security to Europe and North America. 

Trump has repeatedly used trade penalties as leverage against both allies and rivals, a tactic that has yielded mixed results, drawing concessions from some countries while provoking resistance from others such as China, Brazil and India.

It remains unclear under what legal authority Trump could impose the tariffs. Analysts noted that he may attempt to invoke emergency economic powers, though those authorities are currently under scrutiny in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump said that the proposed tariffs are retaliation for recent visits to Greenland by officials from Britain, the Netherlands and Finland, as well as broader European opposition to his bid to acquire the semiautonomous Arctic territory, which belongs to NATO ally Denmark. 

He reiterated his claim that Greenland is strategically vital to the proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system and argues that Russia and China could seek to expand their influence over the island.

European resistance to Trump’s ambitions has grown steadily, even as several countries agreed last year to 15 per cent U.S. tariffs in an effort to preserve economic and security ties with Washington.

On Saturday, hundreds of Greenlanders defy near-freezing temperatures, rain and icy streets to rally in the capital, Nuuk, in support of self-governance.

Waving red-and-white national flags, demonstrators march through the city’s small downtown, singing traditional songs and carrying placards reading “We shape our future,” “Greenland is not for sale,” and “Greenland is already GREAT.” Similar rallies take place across the wider Danish kingdom, drawing thousands of participants.

OTN News observes that the protests came just hours after a bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers visits Copenhagen to reassure Denmark and Greenland of continued American support. 

Speaking at a press conference, U.S. Senator Chris Coons of Delaware said that the rhetoric surrounding Greenland is causing widespread concern and stresses the need to de-escalate tensions.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” Coons says, adding that the United States respects Denmark and NATO “for all we’ve done together.”

Danish Major General Søren Andersen, commander of the Joint Arctic Command, told reporters that Denmark does not expect the U.S. military to attack Greenland or any other NATO ally. 

He confirmed that European troops have recently been deployed to Nuuk for Arctic defence training, emphasising that the deployments are routine and defensive in nature.

“I would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country,” Andersen says aboard a Danish military vessel docked in Nuuk. “For us, it’s not about signalling. It’s about training military units and working together with allies.”

Andersen also noted that during his more than two years commanding forces in Greenland, he has not observed any Chinese or Russian warships near the island, contradicting Trump’s repeated claims of an immediate foreign threat. Still, he confirmed that under Danish law, soldiers are obligated to defend themselves if attacked, even by forces from a NATO country.

Thousands of demonstrators also marched in Copenhagen, many carrying Greenlandic flags and signs reading “Hands Off” and “Make America Smart Again.”

“This is important for the whole world,” said Danish protester Elise Riechie. “There are many small countries, and none of them are for sale.”

Trump has for months insisted that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary due to its strategic location and vast untapped reserves of critical minerals. Earlier this week, he said that any outcome short of U.S. ownership would be “unacceptable,” and he hints that tariffs on pharmaceuticals could also be used as leverage.

Recent meetings in Washington between the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland and U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio fail to resolve the dispute, though both sides agree to establish a working group—an initiative later described in sharply different terms by Copenhagen and the White House.

European leaders continue to insist that decisions regarding Greenland rest solely with Denmark and the Greenlandic people. Denmark, meanwhile, announced plans to increase its military presence on the island in cooperation with allies.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” Senator Coons says. “If we cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country trust us or believe in our commitments?”