Donald Trump on Monday escalated his rhetoric over Greenland, accusing Denmark of failing for decades to address what he described as a growing Russian security threat to the strategically located Arctic
island and declaring that decisive action was now inevitable.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.’ Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!”
The post came amid rising tensions between the United States and several European allies after Trump announced plans to impose sweeping tariffs on European goods linked to opposition to American control of Greenland.
According to Trump, a 10 per cent import tax would take effect in February on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.
He said the tariff rate would increase to 25 per cent on June 1 if no agreement was reached for what he described as the “complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the United States.
Trump framed the proposed tariffs as leverage to force negotiations with Denmark and other European countries, arguing that Greenland is critical to US national security and vulnerable to foreign adversaries.
“The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them,” Trump had mentioned in an earlier Truth Social post.
The move threatens to strain long-standing transatlantic partnerships and deepen tensions within NATO, the alliance that has provided collective security to Europe and North America since 1949.
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for what he says is an inadequate contribution to shared defence and has often relied on trade penalties to pressure both allies and rivals.
Denmark reacted with surprise to the tariff threat.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Trump’s announcement was unexpected, especially after what he described as a constructive meeting with senior US officials in Washington earlier in the week.
European leaders also pushed back strongly, warning that the proposed measures could damage transatlantic relations and undermine trust between allies.
The issue of Greenland has been a recurring theme for Trump, who has long argued that the United States should own the mineral-rich island, home to about 57,000 people and located along key Arctic routes.
Greenland is a semiautonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which is responsible for its defence.
The United States already has access to the island under a 1951 defence agreement and maintains a military presence at the Pituffik Space Base, which supports missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance operations for the US and NATO.
Trump has suggested that Russia and China could seek to expand their influence in the Arctic region and has described anything short of US control of Greenland as “unacceptable.”
He has also indicated that tariffs could be used as an alternative to military force to achieve strategic objectives, recounting past instances in which trade threats were used to pressure allies.
