Trump escalates Greenland demands: Tariffs loom for allies blocking Arctic control

Copenhagen: President Donald Trump intensified his pressure on European allies Friday, suggesting he may impose punitive trade tariffs on nations that refuse to support his administration's goal of securing U.S. control over Greenland.

The president's latest threat arrived as a bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation arrived in Copenhagen to meet with Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers in a bid to stabilise a fractured diplomatic relationship.

“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland,” Trump told reporters Friday at the White House, framing the acquisition of the world's largest island as a matter of urgent defence. “We need Greenland for national security.”

The remarks mark the first time the president has explicitly linked trade penalties to his Arctic ambitions. Trump has for months characterised American sovereignty over the territory, a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, as "non-negotiable," asserting earlier this week that any outcome short of U.S. ownership would be “unacceptable.”

Diplomatic Stalemate

The president's comments follow a high-level summit in Washington earlier this week between U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland.

While the meeting resulted in an agreement to establish a joint working group, the two sides appeared fundamentally at odds over its purpose. The White House characterised the group's mandate as "technical talks on the acquisition of Greenland," while Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen dismissed that claim, warning that any further discussions focused on a sale would result in a "very, very short series of meetings."

Congress Seeks De-escalation

In Copenhagen, the 11-member U.S. delegation, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, sought to provide a counter-narrative to the White House's rhetoric.

Addressing reporters after meetings with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, members of the delegation emphasised that Congress remains committed to the sovereignty of its NATO allies. Senator Jeanne Shaheen expressed concern that the president's threats "undermine the NATO alliance at a time when our adversaries seek to benefit from division."

The visit coincides with a military buildup in the region; this week, several European nations, including Norway, Sweden, France, and Germany, reportedly deployed reconnaissance troops to Greenland in a symbolic show of support for Danish sovereignty.

With inputs from AP