European Union ambassadors convened for emergency discussions on Sunday after former US president Donald Trump threatened to impose sweeping tariffs on several European countries unless the United States is allowed to acquire Greenland. The European leaders, however, referred to the tariff threat as “unacceptable” and warned of a negative impact on the very relations between Europe and the US, hence they very much rejected the move.
The EU’s current rotating presidency, Cyprus, announced that a meeting of all 27 member states’ ambassadors was called with urgency for 5 pm local time. The talks come in response to Trump’s latest remarks linking trade penalties directly to his long-standing ambition for the US to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump announced plans to impose a 10% tariff from February 1 on goods imported into the US from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. He added that the tariff would rise sharply to 25% from June 1 if no agreement is reached. Trump stated that the duties would remain in place until a “complete and total purchase of Greenland” is secured.
The remarks triggered immediate backlash across Europe. Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the statement came as a surprise, especially after what he described as constructive talks earlier in the week with senior US officials. He clarified that recent troop deployments to Greenland by Nato allies were aimed solely at strengthening Arctic security, not escalating tensions.
Germany’s engineering association urged the European Commission to consider using the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, a mechanism that allows the EU to retaliate against economic pressure from third countries. The association warned that yielding to tariff threats would encourage further demands.
In the UK, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy reiterated that Britain’s position on Greenland is “non-negotiable,” stressing that the future of the territory must be decided by the people of Greenland and Denmark. She said Prime Minister Keir Starmer would seek dialogue with US counterparts but ruled out compromising on core principles.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued one of the strongest warnings, saying that any US military action against Greenland would severely damage Nato and “make Vladimir Putin the happiest man on earth,” as it could legitimise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As diplomatic tensions rise, the EU’s emergency meeting is expected to focus on a unified response, potential countermeasures and the broader implications for European security and global trade if the tariff threats are carried out.
