Europe is putting up a united front against President Donald Trump’s threat of a takeover of Greenland, condemning his recent move to impose tariffs over its support for the Arctic island and reportedly preparing massive retaliatory tariffs in response.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden said they remain in “full solidarity” with Greenland, while signaling openness to discussions about security concerns with the island.
“As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” the statement said. “Building on the process begun last week, we stand ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind.”
The leaders also warned against another trade war, which comes after Trump threatened 10% tariffs on their countries’ backing of Greenland’s semi-autonomy as he looks to acquire the Danish territory. They said if Trump follows through on the tariffs come Feb. 1, when they will take effect, it would “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
“We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty,” the statement concluded.
TRUMP PREPARING FOR ‘BATTLE IN THE ARCTIC’ WITH GREENLAND ACQUISITION EFFORT, BESSENT SAYS
Europe is not exactly staying out of another trade spat, either. After Trump’s tariff threat on Saturday, a key leader in European Parliament said the EU-U.S. trade deal reached last summer would not be approved, leaving the fate of the agreement uncertain.
The European Union is also reportedly weighing some sort of retaliatory action. The Financial Times reported earlier Sunday that the bloc may slap retaliatory tariffs worth over $107 billion on the United States, as well as potentially barring U.S. companies from the European market.
