US President Donald Trump has announced extensive punitive tariffs against several European allies following the conflict over the strategically important Arctic island of Greenland. These measures reportedly affect Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland. Trump stated on the platform Truth Social that an import duty of ten percent would be imposed on all goods from these countries starting February 1, 2026, which could rise to 25 percent by June 1. He linked the abolition of these charges to an agreement for the complete acquisition of Greenland by the United States.
The background to the escalation is the US President's accusation that the affected nations are endangering the security of the Arctic by supporting Greenland's continued status with Denmark. Trump believes that only the USA can effectively protect the island from the ambitions of Russia and China. He described the deployment of a multinational military reconnaissance mission, in which the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) are also involved, as an 'extremely dangerous situation'. The European presence is said to serve to assess the local security situation and counter US concerns.
At the same time, thousands of people gathered in the Danish capital Copenhagen and in Nuuk, Greenland, for protest rallies. Under the motto 'Greenland is not for sale,' demonstrators demanded the preservation of the sovereignty and the right to self-determination of the Greenlandic population. High-ranking US parliamentarians, currently in Copenhagen, also signaled their willingness to talk to ease diplomatic tensions within NATO. Greenland is an autonomous territory and part of the Kingdom of Denmark and possesses significant raw material deposits as well as strategic shipping routes.
