US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on European countries, including Denmark, Germany, France and the UK, unless they agree to sell Greenland to the US.
Trump's latest salvo came after the EU and Nato leaders expressed their solidarity with Denmark over the president's continued bid to claim the autonomous Danish territory. The president has long been fixated on acquiring Greenland, claiming it poses a national security threat to the US, but this assertion has been disputed by European allies.
In an extraordinary move, Trump threatened tariffs on any goods sent to the US from the eight European nations, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. The tariff will be 10% starting February 1st, increasing to 25% on June 1st, unless the US reaches a deal for Greenland's complete and total purchase.
The EU has condemned Trump's actions as "unacceptable" and warned of a downward spiral. European leaders have rallied around Denmark, with French President Emmanuel Macron drawing an implicit comparison between Trump's threats and Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
"We will not let ourselves be blackmailed," said Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in response to Trump's threat. Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre echoed this sentiment, stating that "threats have no place among allies."
Trump's aggressive trade strategy has raised concerns about the US economy, which analysts and policymakers warn could face significant damage from sweeping tariffs on the world.
The White House has played down such concerns, but Trump's administration has unleashed a wave of tariffs that has strained US trade ties with the world. Americans now face an average effective tariff rate of 16.8%, according to Yale University's Budget Lab, the highest level since 1935.
Polls have shown that most Americans oppose the idea of the US acquiring Greenland using military force, and even some of Trump's own Republican party members have criticized his actions as "bad for America".
Trump's latest salvo came after the EU and Nato leaders expressed their solidarity with Denmark over the president's continued bid to claim the autonomous Danish territory. The president has long been fixated on acquiring Greenland, claiming it poses a national security threat to the US, but this assertion has been disputed by European allies.
In an extraordinary move, Trump threatened tariffs on any goods sent to the US from the eight European nations, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. The tariff will be 10% starting February 1st, increasing to 25% on June 1st, unless the US reaches a deal for Greenland's complete and total purchase.
The EU has condemned Trump's actions as "unacceptable" and warned of a downward spiral. European leaders have rallied around Denmark, with French President Emmanuel Macron drawing an implicit comparison between Trump's threats and Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
"We will not let ourselves be blackmailed," said Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in response to Trump's threat. Norway's PM Jonas Gahr Støre echoed this sentiment, stating that "threats have no place among allies."
Trump's aggressive trade strategy has raised concerns about the US economy, which analysts and policymakers warn could face significant damage from sweeping tariffs on the world.
The White House has played down such concerns, but Trump's administration has unleashed a wave of tariffs that has strained US trade ties with the world. Americans now face an average effective tariff rate of 16.8%, according to Yale University's Budget Lab, the highest level since 1935.
Polls have shown that most Americans oppose the idea of the US acquiring Greenland using military force, and even some of Trump's own Republican party members have criticized his actions as "bad for America".
The whole thing with Greenland is just wild, right? Like, what's the point of trying to buy a tiny island if it's not gonna make the US economy stronger? 
Trump's been saying some crazy stuff about national security threats and all that, but honestly, I'm not sure anyone believes him. 
Not Denmark, that's for sure – they're happy to have their independence back. 
And the EU all banded together and said "nope" to Trump's blackmail tactics. 
It's like trying to hold onto a sinking ship by throwing more anchors on it. 
Not cool, dude.
Can't we all just get along and find some common ground? 
i mean, i know some ppl in the states are all about that american exceptionalism life but come on, let's be real, this guy is just trying to distract us from his own scandals 
and btw, have you seen the list of countries he's threatening tariffs on? it's like a who's who of europe lol france, germany, uk... like, can't we all just get along over a tiny island? 
america's economy is already struggling what if the whole world follows suit? 
it's like, can't he just talk to danish people instead of trying to strong-arm them into selling greenland? 
and honestly i don't get why he's so fixated on this place anyway it doesn't make sense to me 
like trump thinks he can just strong arm europe into selling him greenland? nope that's not how diplomacy works 
small businesses, consumers, who's gonna get hit hard? 
but still trump's pushing for it because he thinks we'll all just go along with his crazy train. newsflash: it's not working that way anymore.