Eight European nations, including the UK, have issued a joint statement warning that Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over Greenland risks a “dangerous downward spiral” and undermines transatlantic relations. The US president has said he will target countries opposing his bid to annex the Danish territory with tariffs from February.
Senior EU diplomats held crisis talks on Monday after Trump’s announcement. Dutch foreign minister David van Weel described the move as “blackmail”, while Finland’s prime minister said tariffs would harm both Europe and the US. Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the global geopolitical order and Nato’s future were at stake, adding that Europe is stronger “when we collectively show muscle”.
The joint statement from the UK, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden expressed “full solidarity” with Denmark and Greenland. UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy said Britain’s position on Greenland was “non-negotiable”, and that Prime Minister Keir Starmer would speak to Trump at the “earliest opportunity”.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said he had spoken with Trump about security in Greenland and the Arctic, and looked forward to seeing him at Davos. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to urge the EU to activate its “anti-coercion instrument”, a trade measure never before used, if tariffs are imposed. Even Trump ally Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the threat as a “mistake”.
Former US Vice President Mike Pence said the aggressive posture threatened to fracture Nato relations, though he maintained the US had a “national security interest” in controlling Greenland. Denmark’s foreign minister plans to visit Norway, the UK and Sweden next week to discuss Arctic security strategy.
