Trump Floats Tariffs on Countries Opposing US Control of Greenland
US President Donald Trump has suggested he could impose tariffs on countries that refuse to support Washington’s push to control Greenland, escalating rhetoric that has already strained relations with key European allies.
Speaking on Friday during an event at the White House focused on rural healthcare, Trump said trade penalties could be used to pressure countries into backing US claims over the Arctic territory, which is a semiautonomous region under Denmark, a NATO ally.
“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said, adding that such a move was under consideration. It marked the first time he publicly linked the use of tariffs to the Greenland issue.
Trump has for months insisted that the United States should control Greenland, arguing that anything short of US ownership is “unacceptable” due to its strategic location and mineral resources. The White House has also repeatedly raised concerns about growing Chinese and Russian interests in the Arctic, and has not ruled out the use of force to secure the territory.
The remarks came as a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers visited Copenhagen in an effort to ease tensions. The group held talks with Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers, as well as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Senator Chris Coons, who led the delegation, described Denmark as a long-standing and trusted ally and said discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the years ahead. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski echoed that view, stressing that Greenland should be treated as an ally rather than an asset.
The tone of the congressional visit contrasted sharply with statements from the White House. European leaders have maintained that decisions about Greenland’s future rest solely with Denmark and Greenland, while Denmark recently announced plans to increase its military presence in the territory in coordination with allies.
Greenlandic and Danish officials have pushed back strongly against Trump’s comments. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said earlier this week that Greenland would choose Denmark, NATO and the European Union if forced to take sides.
Criticism has also come from Indigenous groups. The Inuit Circumpolar Council said repeated statements suggesting US ownership of Greenland were deeply troubling and reflected a dismissive attitude toward Indigenous peoples. Its chair, Sara Olsvig, warned that Greenlanders do not want to be “colonised again.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington have moved to limit the administration’s options. Senators Murkowski and Jeanne Shaheen have introduced bipartisan legislation that would bar the use of US defence or diplomatic funds to annex or take control of Greenland, or any NATO member’s territory, without consent or authorisation from the North Atlantic Council.
As the debate intensifies, the dispute over Greenland is increasingly shaping diplomatic relations between the United States, Denmark and the wider transatlantic alliance.
