The European Union has been plunged into a fresh diplomatic crisis after former US President Donald Trump vowed to impose a wave of punitive tariffs on key European allies, explicitly linking the trade penalties to the United States' long-standing ambition to purchase Greenland.
Emergency Diplomatic Gathering
In a rapid response to the escalating situation, ambassadors from the EU's 27 member states will convene for an emergency meeting on Sunday. The urgent gathering was called by Cyprus, which currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency. EU diplomats confirmed the meeting is scheduled to begin at 5pm local time (4pm GMT).
The emergency session was triggered by a lengthy post published by Trump on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. In it, the former president outlined a stark ultimatum: he would impose an immediate 10% tariff on all goods sent to the United States from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, effective from 1 February.
The Tariff Ultimatum and Greenland Focus
Trump declared that this initial tariff would then skyrocket to a punishing 25% on 1 June. He stated unequivocally that the tariffs would remain in place "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland."
This public declaration has brought Trump's well-documented fascination with acquiring the vast Arctic territory back to the forefront of transatlantic relations. His interest, previously described as wanting to buy Greenland "one way or the other," appears to have intensified following the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier in January. While Trump has framed Greenland's current autonomous status under Denmark as a national security threat to the US, this assertion has been firmly rejected by American allies, including the Danish government.
In his social media post, Trump also made a pointed reference to forces from the eight named European nations having "journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown." This is widely seen as an allusion to NATO allies, including those listed, deploying troops to Greenland on Thursday. That deployment was itself a direct response to Trump's earlier threats to seize the Arctic island by force.
European Reaction and Mounting Tensions
The reaction from European capitals has been one of profound surprise and concern. Denmark's Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, responded swiftly on social media, expressing that "The President’s statement comes as a surprise."
Rasmussen sought to clarify the purpose of the military movements, noting, "Earlier this week, we had a constructive meeting with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio. The purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the President refers, is to enhance security in the Arctic." This statement underscores the growing disconnect and the potential for a significant deterioration in US-European relations over the issue.
The emergency EU meeting will now focus on formulating a coordinated response to what is being viewed as an unprecedented attempt to leverage trade policy for territorial acquisition. The situation presents a major test for European unity and the future of transatlantic trade and security partnerships.
