United States President Donald Trump on Friday warned that countries refusing to support Washington’s push to take control of Greenland could face trade tariffs.
Trump did not spell out how such tariffs would be applied, but reiterated his long-held view that Greenland is strategically vital for American national security. Speaking at a healthcare-related event at the White House, he said the United States might penalise countries that oppose its position on Greenland, stressing that control of the territory is necessary from a security standpoint.
For months, Trump has publicly argued that the US should gain control of Greenland, which is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. While the White House has previously said that all options remain under consideration regarding the territory, this marks the first time Trump has explicitly linked the issue to the threat of tariffs against other nations.
The comments came a day after several European countries deployed small contingents of troops to Greenland. Denmark also said it was moving ahead with plans to establish a larger and more permanent NATO presence on the island to strengthen its security, according to Reuters. The show of support was intended to assist Denmark in preparing military exercises and followed meetings involving officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland.
According to Bloomberg, a delegation of US senators and representatives met members of the Danish parliament on Friday. Protests opposing Trump’s Greenland proposal are expected across Denmark on Saturday.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has spent the past week in Washington holding discussions with members of the US Congress. His visit followed talks with US Vice President J D Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
After those meetings, Rasmussen said that a fundamental disagreement with Trump over Greenland remained. However, he added that both sides had agreed to set up a working group to explore ways to address their differences, according to Associated Press.
