EU backs Denmark, warns against tariffs after Trump’s Greenland remarks

The European Union voiced strong support for Denmark and Greenland, underscoring the importance of territorial integrity and international law, after US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on several European countries while reviving his long-standing push to acquire Greenland.

Posting on X, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said, “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. They are essential for Europe and for the international community

as a whole.” She added that the EU has consistently underlined its shared transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, including through NATO.

Defending recent military activity in the region, she said the “pre-coordinated Danish exercise, conducted with allies, responds to the need to strengthen Arctic security and poses no threat to anyone.” Emphasising unity, the Commission President added, “The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland. Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.”

She also issued a sharp warning on trade tensions, stating, “Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty.”

European Council President António Costa echoed the same message in an identical statement, reiterating that territorial integrity and sovereignty are non-negotiable principles of international law and stressing the importance of dialogue and unity amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Arctic.

The EU response follows an announcement by US President Donald Trump on Saturday imposing tariffs on eight European countries—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland—linking the move to what he described as escalating security risks around Greenland.

In a statement, Trump said the United States has “subsidised Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union” for years by not charging tariffs, adding that “now, after centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back.”

He claimed Greenland has become central to global security concerns, warning that “World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it.” Trump mocked Denmark’s security presence in the territory, saying it currently has “two dogsleds as protection, one added recently.”

“Nobody will touch this sacred piece of land,” Trump said, adding that “the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake.” He also alleged that Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland have “journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown,” calling the situation “very dangerous for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet.”

The escalating rhetoric has begun to impact EU–US trade engagement. Siegfried Mureșan, a Member of the European Parliament, said, “We were supposed to ratify very soon in the European Parliament the EU-US trade deal from last July, reducing tariffs for imports from the US into the European Union to 0%.”

“That ratification will have to wait a little longer in this new context,” he added.

We were supposed to ratify very soon in the European Parliament the EU-US trade deal from last July, reducing tariffs for imports from the US into the European Union to 0%.

That ratification will have to wait a little longer in this new context.

— Siegfried Muresan ???????????????? (@SMuresan) January 17, 2026

The developments mark a fresh strain in transatlantic ties, with the European Union signalling that while it remains committed to dialogue with Washington, it will stand firm on sovereignty, international law, and economic stability.