'We will not be blackmailed': EU and UK hit back at Trump’s 10% tariffs over Greenland

Europe rejects Trump tariff threats

The European Union and the United Kingdom have warned they “will not be blackmailed” by US President Donald Trump, condemning his “completely wrong” decision to impose a 10 percent tariff on several European countries for “opposing” his threats to take control of Greenland.

The EU convened an emergency meeting of ambassadors from its 27 member states on Sunday, cautioning that Trump’s actions risk triggering a “dangerous downward spiral”. The bloc also warned that rifts among allies — with the US and most EU countries members of NATO — would play into the hands of China and Russia.

“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X.

Greenland welcomed the strong response from European countries targeted by the tariffs, while several European leaders denounced the move as “unacceptable”. Denmark said the decision had “come as a surprise”.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the tariff threat as “completely wrong”, while French President Emmanuel Macron and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson rejected it outright, stressing the need to defend European sovereignty.

On Saturday (January 18), Trump announced that a 10 percent tariff would be imposed from February on eight European countries — Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland — for opposing US control of Greenland. In a social media post, he said the tariff would rise to 25 percent on June 1 unless a deal was reached for “the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland”.

The backlash came as thousands of Greenlanders marched across snow and ice in near-freezing temperatures to protest Trump’s remarks. Demonstrators waved national flags, held placards and chanted “Greenland is not for sale” in support of self-governance.

Allies warn of strategic fallout

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that tariffs would damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic and divert attention from the bloc’s “core task” of ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies,” Kallas said on X. “Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity. If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.”

Greenland praises European response

Greenlandic minister for mineral resources Naaja Nathanielsen praised the response from European countries facing Trump’s tariff threat.

“I am amazed to witness the first responses from the targeted countries,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “I am thankful and hopeful for diplomacy and allieship to prevail.”

Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Trump’s comments had come as “a surprise”.

“The purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the president refers, is precisely to enhance security in the Arctic,” Rasmussen told AFP, adding that Denmark was in close contact with the European Commission and its partners.

Only days earlier, Rasmussen had taken part in talks at the White House with US and Greenlandic officials on the issue.

Starmer condemns tariff move

Starmer reiterated that imposing tariffs on allies was “completely wrong”.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration,” he said.

“Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.”

He added: “We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of Nato and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic.”

Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of NATO and allies should all do more together to address the threat…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) January 17, 2026

EU leaders reject US pressure

Macron said Trump’s threats were “unacceptable” and warned of a united European response.

“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context,” he posted on X. “Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed. We will ensure that European sovereignty is upheld.”

Kristersson echoed the message, saying: “We won’t let ourselves be intimidated. Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them. I will always defend my country and our allied neighbours.”

Vi låter oss inte utpressas. Bara Danmark och Grönland bestämmer i frågor som rör Danmark och Grönland. Jag kommer alltid stå upp för mitt land, och för våra allierade grannar. Detta är en EU-fråga som rör många fler länder än de som nu pekas ut. Sverige har nu intensiva…

— Ulf Kristersson (@SwedishPM) January 17, 2026

He added that Sweden was holding intensive talks with EU partners, Norway and the UK to agree on a joint response.

Greenlanders protest US claims

Across Greenland, large crowds gathered to protest Trump’s renewed calls for US ownership of the strategically located, mineral-rich island, which is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

A nine-year-old girl attending the protest held a handmade “Greenland is not for sale” sign, saying her teachers had discussed the issue at school.

“They tell us how to stand up if you’re being bullied by another country or something,” she said.

“I thought this day couldn’t get any worse but it just did,” one protester told The Associated Press after Trump’s tariff announcement. “It just shows he has no remorse for any kind of human being now.”

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined what was described as the largest protest in the island’s history, drawing nearly a quarter of Nuuk’s population. Solidarity rallies were also held across Denmark, including in Copenhagen, and in Nunavut, Canada’s Inuit-governed Arctic territory.

“This is important for the whole world,” a Danish protester said in Copenhagen. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

(With agency inputs)