EU ambassadors will convene an emergency meeting later today after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened escalating tariffs on key European allies unless the United States is allowed to buy Greenland, jolting transatlantic relations and trade.
Cyprus, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, called the meeting for 5 p.m. in Brussels (4 p.m. in Dublin), according to EU diplomats. It was not immediately clear what authority Trump would invoke to impose tariffs of up to 25% on European goods.
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In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that starting Feb. 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face a 10% tariff on all goods shipped to the United States, rising to 25% on June 1. “These countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” he wrote, arguing that “strong measures” were needed to end the situation “quickly, and without question.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned the tariff threat would “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” adding that Europe “will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty.” French President Emmanuel Macron called the threat over Greenland “unacceptable” and said Europe would respond in a coordinated manner if the measures are confirmed. “No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world,” he said on X.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the move and said London would raise the issue directly with Washington. He reiterated the U.K.’s position that Greenland “is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” adding that Arctic security concerns should be addressed within NATO.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also urged restraint, calling Trump’s plan “a mistake.” She told reporters she had spoken with him “a few hours ago” to relay her view.
The tariff threat comes as Brussels and London have tried to stabilize trade ties with Washington after a turbulent period. Tentative deals struck last year included baseline levies of 15% on imports from Europe and 10% on most British goods. Analysts warned that singling out some EU states but not others could fracture the bloc’s response. “The biggest danger, it seems to me, is his decision to treat some EU countries different from others,” said William Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It may well convince the European Parliament that it is pointless to approve the trade agreement with the U.S., since Trump is already bypassing it.”
Trump has increasingly leaned on tariffs as a pressure tool against adversaries and allies alike, floating new levies tied to political demands with limited public legal rationale. The U.S. Supreme Court has heard arguments on the legality of sweeping tariffs, and any ruling would carry major implications for the global economy and presidential powers.
The latest dispute centers on Greenland, the vast Arctic territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump has argued that the encroaching presence of China and Russia makes Greenland vital to U.S. security interests. Danish and other European officials note the island is covered by NATO’s collective defense pact. Protests broke out in Denmark and Greenland on Saturday, with demonstrators calling for the territory to determine its own future absent external pressure.
EU diplomats said ambassadors would review response options and seek to maintain a united front across the bloc and wider NATO alliance. Von der Leyen and national leaders have urged coordination, warning that a tariff spiral would harm economies on both sides of the Atlantic while doing little to resolve underlying security concerns in the Arctic.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
