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The warning did not arrive in isolation. It came just one day after Trump announced a sweeping set of economic measures aimed squarely at Europe. A 10 percent tariff on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland is set to take effect on February 1. According to Trump, the tariffs will remain in place “until Greenland becomes American,” tying economic pressure directly to territorial demands in a way that immediately alarmed European capitals.
The response across Europe was swift and forceful. Emergency discussions among EU ambassadors took place over the weekend, reflecting the seriousness with which the threat was taken. Leaders within the European Union warned that the tariffs could undermine existing trade agreements and damage decades of diplomatic cooperation. European Council President Antonio Costa described the move as coercive and warned that the EU was prepared to defend itself economically and politically if necessary.
On the ground in Greenland, the reaction has been equally emphatic. In the capital city of Nuuk, around 1,000 residents recently marched through the city center to the U.S. consulate, protesting Trump’s remarks and reaffirming their opposition to any transfer of sovereignty. Demonstrators emphasized that Greenland’s future is a matter for Greenlanders themselves, not a bargaining chip in global power politics.
Greenland’s leaders have repeatedly stressed that while they are open to cooperation and investment, any discussion of ownership is a nonstarter. The island’s autonomous status within Denmark grants it significant self-governance, and public sentiment strongly favors maintaining that arrangement rather than becoming part of another nation.
Denmark and several allied nations have attempted to de-escalate the situation by emphasizing transparency and dialogue. In a joint statement, they reiterated that troops deployed to Greenland under Operation Arctic Endurance pose no threat and are intended purely for defensive and cooperative purposes. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but maintained that diplomatic channels remain open. He stressed that Denmark intends to stay the course and continue discussions, unless the United States chooses to abandon dialogue altogether.
Other European leaders were less restrained in their criticism. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide described Trump’s threats as unacceptable between close allies, warning that the use of economic pressure within long-standing partnerships risks eroding trust that has taken generations to build.
The controversy has also sparked unease within the United States itself. Some lawmakers have warned that the rhetoric could spiral into consequences far more severe than trade disputes or diplomatic strain. Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, a former chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, cautioned publicly that any military action directed at Greenland would put the United States on a collision course with its own allies.
Speaking on national television, McCaul pointed out that the U.S. already enjoys extensive military access to Greenland through existing agreements. He acknowledged that discussions about purchasing territory, while controversial, are fundamentally different from coercion or force. A military move, he warned, would effectively invert NATO’s collective defense principle and could place the United States in direct conflict with the alliance it helped create. Such a scenario, he argued, would undermine NATO itself.
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