U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that his administration will fully implement tariffs on European countries opposing his stance on taking control of Greenland. In an interview with NBC News on January 19, Trump said that if NATO member states, including the United Kingdom, resist his position, all their exports to the United States will face tariffs. He announced that a 10 percent tariff on British imports will begin on February 1, rising to 25 percent on June 1, and will remain until an agreement is reached with Denmark over Greenland. The same policy will apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.

European leaders have responded with a unified stance defending Greenland’s sovereignty. Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said ownership cannot be claimed through threats, while the UK’s foreign minister Yvette Cooper affirmed that only Greenlanders and Denmark can decide Greenland’s future. Trump did not rule out military action, prompting Denmark to warn of serious NATO consequences. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance will coordinate with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security.

The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that sovereignty is not a matter of trade and called an emergency meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday to decide next steps.