‘Will continue to stand united’: European nations react to Trump’s Greenland tariff threat
Berlin: Countries targeted by US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over opposition to his designs on Greenland vowed Sunday to respond in unity, warning that such measures could damage transatlantic ties.
"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral," Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden said in a joint statement.
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"We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty," they added.
The statement came after Trump announced that eight European countries would face a 10 per cent tariff for opposing American control of Greenland, sending shockwaves across European capitals.
European leaders warned the move could severely strain US-European partnerships. Several countries have recently deployed troops to Greenland for Arctic security training, while thousands of Greenlanders protested outside the US Consulate in Nuuk as Trump unveiled the tariff threat.
The Republican president signalled the tariffs were intended as leverage to push Denmark and its European allies into talks over Greenland’s status. The semi-autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark has been described by Trump as vital to US national security.
Also read: Greenland drama: US lawmakers show bipartisan support against Trump’s takeover threat
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would be affected by the proposed tariffs.
Questions remain over how the White House could implement such measures, particularly as the European Union functions as a single economic trading bloc. A European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear how Trump could legally impose the tariffs, though he could invoke emergency economic powers currently under challenge at the US Supreme Court.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that geopolitical rivals would benefit from growing divisions between Washington and Europe.
“China and Russia will benefit from the divisions between the U.S. and Europe,” she said in a social media post. “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermining our shared prosperity."