Trump announced that tariffs will be imposed on 8 European countries because they oppose American control of Greenland.

According to a report from CCTV news, on Saturday (January 17) local time, US President Trump announced that starting from February 1, 2026, a 10% tariff will be imposed on all goods exported to the United States from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland. From June 1, 2026, the tariff rate will increase to 25%. The reason for the tariff increase is that these countries oppose US control of Greenland, escalating the dispute over the future ownership of Greenland. Trump announced on social media that this tariff measure will continue until an agreement is reached to "completely and thoroughly purchase Greenland." The day before, Trump threatened that if other countries do not support US control of Greenland, he may impose tariffs on these countries. This tariff threat is seen as a major and potentially dangerous escalation in the confrontation between Trump and NATO allies. The Republican president has repeatedly tried to use trade penalties to force allies and opponents to make concessions, with some countries promising to increase investment in the US as a result, while others have chosen to retaliate. It is not clear which US laws Trump will rely on to implement these tariffs, but he is most likely to invoke powers related to a state of emergency, which are currently under review by the US Supreme Court. Greenland is located in northeastern North America and is a Danish territory. Recently, Trump has insisted that the US should control Greenland. Earlier this week, he stated that it would be "unacceptable" if Greenland does not fall into US hands. On Saturday, Trump pointed out that the tariffs are in response to officials from countries such as the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland visiting Greenland recently and the overall stance of these countries against the US buying the island. Trump stated that Greenland is of strategic importance in the US' "Dome of Gold" missile defense system. Meanwhile, while some European countries agreed last year to accept Trump's proposed 15% tariff to maintain economic and security relations with the US, resistance to his ambitions to take over Greenland is on the rise. European leaders claim that the Greenland issue can only be decided by Denmark and the Greenlandic people. Denmark also announced this week that it will strengthen its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies. At Denmark's request, several European countries have deployed military personnel to the island, but in very limited numbers. On Saturday, protests erupted in Denmark and Greenland against Trump's demands, calling for the region to decide its own future. Earlier in the day, a demonstration march was held in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, as planned. Greenland's Prime Minister Kim Kielsen and Mute Egede, along with other politicians, attended the demonstration march. US Democratic Senator Chris Coons in Copenhagen stated that the rhetoric surrounding Greenland has caused concerns throughout the Kingdom of Denmark, and his purpose in this trip is to ease the tension. "I hope the Danish people do not lose trust in the American people and respect the history we have shared." Vice Admiral Soren Andersen, Commander of the Danish Joint Arctic Command, stated that Denmark does not believe the US military will attack Greenland or any other NATO ally; European forces have recently been deployed to Nuuk for Arctic defense training. He added that the actions were not intended to send a political signal to the Trump administration, although the White House has not completely ruled out the possibility of using force to seize the region. Norwegian Foreign Minister Ed pointed out: "There is a wide consensus within NATO to strengthen security in the Arctic region, including on the issue of Greenland security. We believe that introducing a tariff issue into this discussion is inappropriate."