On January 17, 2026, President Donald Trump ignited a diplomatic firestorm by announcing sweeping new tariffs on eight key NATO allies in retaliation for their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland. The move, which targets Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, has sent shockwaves through the transatlantic alliance and drawn sharp rebukes from European leaders, as well as sparking protests from Copenhagen to Nuuk.
According to ABC News, the tariffs will begin at 10% on all goods from these countries starting February 1, 2026, and will jump to 25% on June 1. Trump declared that the tariffs would remain in place "until the U.S. is able to purchase Greenland," a self-governing territory of Denmark. The president’s announcement comes amid heightened tensions over the U.S. push to acquire the resource-rich Arctic island, a campaign that has been met with fierce resistance from both Greenland and Denmark.
Trump justified the tariffs by claiming that these NATO countries had sent small military contingents to Greenland, which he described as a "very dangerous game" that threatens the "Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet." In a characteristically forceful social media post, Trump insisted that “only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that!” He further argued that Denmark was incapable of protecting Greenland and warned that China and Russia would threaten to seize the territory if the U.S. did not act.
The president’s rhetoric and the sudden imposition of tariffs have drawn immediate condemnation from European capitals. French President Emmanuel Macron responded with a pointed statement: “France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of Nations. No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations.” Macron emphasized that "tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty."
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed these sentiments, calling the U.S. move "completely wrong." In a statement, Starmer asserted, "Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes."
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas weighed in as well, warning that "tariffs would undermine prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, making both Europe and the US poorer." She added, "China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said discussions were underway among the targeted countries to coordinate a response. "We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland," he declared, reaffirming his support for Denmark and neighboring allies.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen described Trump’s wish to acquire Greenland as "totally unacceptable" and said the tariff threat came as a surprise, especially after what he characterized as constructive talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in the week. Rasmussen also clarified the purpose of recent European military deployments to Greenland, stating, "The purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the President refers, is to enhance security in the Arctic." According to Al Jazeera, these deployments were part of training exercises launched by the Danish military, not a bid to undermine U.S. interests.
The controversy has not been confined to diplomatic circles. On January 17, thousands of people took to the streets in Denmark and Greenland to protest Trump’s proposal and the new tariffs. In Copenhagen, demonstrators waved Danish and Greenlandic flags, chanting slogans supporting Greenland’s autonomy. In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, hundreds braved near-freezing temperatures for a "Stop Trump" march. Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands, reporting from Nuuk, noted that for Greenlanders, "news of Trump upping the ante with his tariffs would be very worrying indeed." He added, "They know that there is nothing that they could do if Donald Trump really did want to send in the troops. Denmark knows there is nothing, really, that they could do if Donald Trump really wants to send the troops."
Public opinion in both Greenland and the United States appears largely opposed to the idea of a U.S. takeover. A January 2025 poll found that 85% of Greenlanders reject joining the U.S., with only 6% in favor. Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 55% of American voters oppose the U.S. trying to buy Greenland, with majorities of Democratic (85%) and Independent (58%) voters against the idea, while 67% of Republican voters support it.
Efforts by Greenland and Denmark to change the U.S. administration’s stance have so far failed. On January 16-17, a bipartisan group of U.S. House members and senators traveled to Greenland and Denmark for talks. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), part of the delegation, released a statement warning that the tariff threat would damage America’s relationships with European allies. They argued, "There is no need, or desire, for a costly acquisition or hostile military takeover of Greenland when our Danish and Greenlandic allies are eager to work with us on Arctic security, critical minerals and other priorities under the framework of long-standing treaties." The lawmakers cautioned that “continuing down this path is bad for America, bad for American businesses and bad for America’s allies. This kind of rhetoric also further helps adversaries like Putin and Xi who want to see NATO divided. Our allies deserve better, and so do the American people who have made their opposition to this flawed policy resoundingly clear.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats would introduce legislation to block the tariffs against countries opposing U.S. control of Greenland. “It is incredible that he wants to double down on the stupidity by imposing tariffs on our closest allies for his quixotic quest to takeover Greenland,” Schumer said in a statement. Meanwhile, Trump’s tariffs have already been challenged in lawsuits that have reached the Supreme Court, though it remains unclear when a ruling will be handed down.
For now, the fate of Greenland—and the stability of the NATO alliance—hangs in the balance. The coming months will reveal whether the U.S. and its European partners can resolve this extraordinary dispute or whether Trump’s tariffs will mark a turning point in transatlantic relations.