Donald Trump has announced plans to impose tariffs on eight countries, including the UK and several European Union member states, over their opposition to his proposal to take over Greenland. The tariffs, set at 10% from 1 February and rising to 25% from 1 June, will apply to all goods exported to the United States by the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
The announcement drew immediate criticism from European leaders. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the tariffs "completely wrong", insisting that Greenland is part of Denmark and its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also criticised the move, while Finland's president Alexander Stubb warned that tariffs would be "detrimental to the transatlantic relationship" and could lead to a "harmful spiral".
Thousands of people gathered in Denmark and the Greenlandic capital Nuuk as part of a "Hands Off Greenland" protest against the US president's threats. Camilla Siezing, chair of the Joint Association Inuit, said in a statement: "We demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland's right to self-determination." Meanwhile, a bipartisan congressional delegation meeting in Copenhagen reiterated its support for both Greenland and Denmark, in contrast to statements from the White House.
The UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski accused Keir Starmer of appeasing a "bully" in Donald Trump, describing the strategy as ending in "total humiliation". In Washington, Democratic members of the House foreign affairs committee said the American people did not want to buy Greenland but wanted affordable healthcare, and argued that further tariffs would raise costs.
Finnish president Alexander Stubb emphasised that European countries stand united, supporting Denmark and Greenland. His comments were echoed by Republican senator Thom Tillis and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, who co-chair the Senate's Nato Observer Group, saying there was "no need, or desire, for a costly acquisition". Greenland's minister for mineral resources, Naaja Nathanielsen, said she was "thankful and hopeful for diplomacy and allieship to prevail" in response to European nations' reactions.
