President Donald Trump announced that several European allies will face a series of escalating tariffs for opposing United States control of Greenland, intensifying his campaign to acquire the Danish territory. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said 10 percent tariffs would begin on February 1 for Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, rising to 25 percent on June 1 and remaining until an agreement is reached for the US to buy Greenland. He accused these nations of playing a “very dangerous game” through visits to Greenland and linked the acquisition to the planned US missile defense shield, the Golden Dome.

The announcement came as thousands protested across Denmark and Greenland against Trump’s repeated threats to take control of the Arctic island. Demonstrations in Copenhagen and Nuuk drew large crowds calling for self-governance and rejecting US ownership. Al Jazeera correspondents described the move as unprecedented and a serious escalation against close US allies.

A bipartisan US congressional delegation in Copenhagen sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of continued American support, but the tariff threat has raised concerns of deepening rifts within NATO and heightened tensions over Arctic security.