Trump vows to fully enforce Greenland tariffs as EU pledges defense

US President Donald Trump has vowed to “100%” carry out his threat to impose tariffs on European countries that oppose his push to take control of Greenland. The planned tariffs, starting at 10% from February 1 and rising to 25% in June, would affect goods from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland—all Nato members.

European allies have strongly defended Greenland’s sovereignty. Denmark’s foreign minister emphasized that threatening the territory is unacceptable, while UK officials stated Greenland’s future should be decided solely by Greenlanders and Denmark.

Trump claimed Greenland is “imperative for national and world security” and signaled he would press ahead despite opposition, though he declined to comment on the potential use of force. European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, called for de-escalation and warned the tariffs would benefit no one.

In response, the EU will hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss coordinated measures, with Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas affirming the bloc will “hold its ground” while stressing that sovereignty is not negotiable.