President Donald Trump on Friday suggested he may impose new tariffs on countries that do not support his bid to take control of Greenland, citing national security concerns.
“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that,” CNN quoted Trump as saying during a White House event on health care.
Trump referenced his past use of tariffs to pressure other countries into cooperating on efforts to lower drug prices in the United States.
The president’s push to control Greenland has drawn strong reactions from European nations, which fear the move could strain long-standing transatlantic ties.
Greenland, the world’s largest island located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, is a self-governing Danish territory.
President Trump has argued that the US needs control of the largely frozen island for national security, citing geopolitical threats from Russia and China, and has not ruled out military action.
Denmark, a member of the US-led Nato alliance, has seen European allies express concern over Trump’s rhetoric.
On Thursday, Danish troops arrived in Greenland alongside forces from France, Germany, and the Netherlands to strengthen security.
“At the request of Denmark, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, Operation Arctic Endurance,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a social media post Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that the presence of European troops “doesn’t impact Trump’s goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all.”
Earlier this month, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the UK, and Greenland issued a joint statement declaring “Greenland belongs to its people,” while reaffirming Nato’s commitment to Arctic security.
US lawmakers in Denmark
Meanwhile, a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers met the leaders of Denmark and Greenland in Copenhagen on Friday, seeking to "lower the temperature" with assurances of congressional support after President Donald Trump's threats to seize the Arctic island.
The 11-member US delegation, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen, as well as Danish and Greenlandic parliamentarians.
"There's a lot of rhetoric, but there's not a lot of reality in the current discussion in Washington," Coons told reporters following the meetings, saying the lawmakers would seek to "lower the temperature" on returning home.
Earlier in the day, Trump's special envoy to Greenland said he planned to visit the Danish territory in March, and that he believed a deal could be done.
"I do believe that there's a deal that should and will be made once this plays out," Jeff Landry told Fox News in an interview on Friday.
"The president is serious. I think he's laid the markers down. He's told Denmark what he's looking for."
With inputs from agencies
