Denmark Trump threatens opponents of his Greenland plans with tariffs
US President Donald Trump is threatening countries that oppose his claim to ownership of Greenland with tariffs. He may impose tariffs on such countries because the USA needs Greenland for its national security, Trump said in the White House. He was not more specific. Trump had previously spoken about how he had threatened European countries such as Germany and France with tariffs in other contexts in order to assert his interests.
16.01.2026, 17:31
16.01.2026, 17:32
SDA
Trump's claim to ownership of Greenland has been causing great unrest within NATO for days. Germany and other European members of the alliance now want to ensure greater security on the huge Arctic island.
The largely autonomous Greenland is part of Denmark's territory. Trump has repeatedly made it clear that America wants to incorporate the largely ice-covered island - something that the European NATO partners vehemently oppose.
Crisis talks without tangible results
Crisis talks between the USA, Denmark and Greenland had ended without any tangible results. Trump argues that Greenland must belong to the USA to prevent the Russians and Chinese from gaining additional influence in the region.
On Wednesday, Germany and other NATO states then announced a fact-finding mission for possible military exercises on Greenland. A Bundeswehr team of 15 soldiers was on its way to the capital Nuuk in the afternoon. The mission is being led by Denmark. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands are also sending soldiers.
The US government was initially unimpressed by the deployment. "I do not believe that soldiers in Europe are influencing the President's decision-making process or that this has any impact on his goal of acquiring Greenland," said Trump's government spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Thursday.
