Emmanuel Macron, Sir Keir Starmer and Sweden’s prime minister Ulf Kristersson have rejected President Donald Trump’s threat to impose US tariffs on a group of European allies unless they agree to what he called the “complete and total” purchase of Greenland.
Mr Trump said the United States would apply a 10 per cent tariff from 1 February 2026 on all goods exported to the US from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, rising to 25 per cent from 1 June 2026. He set the measure explicitly against governments that, he said, had opposed his Greenland position.
In his Truth Social post, Mr Trump said the tariff would remain in place until a deal was reached for the United States to acquire Greenland, adding that Washington was open to negotiations with Denmark and with the countries named. He also argued that the US had provided decades of protection to European partners without adequate compensation, framing Greenland as a national security issue and citing interest in the Arctic from China and Russia.
Mr Macron, writing on X, said threats would not shift Europe’s position “neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor elsewhere”, and described the use of tariff threats as unacceptable in the circumstances. He said Europeans would respond in a “united and co-ordinated” way if the tariffs were confirmed, adding that Europe knew how to ensure respect for its sovereignty.
France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of nations, in Europe and elsewhere. This guides our choices. It underpins our commitment to the United Nations and to its Charter.
It is on this basis that we support, and will continue to support Ukraine…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 17, 2026
Downing Street focused on Greenland’s constitutional status and NATO’s Arctic posture. Sir Keir said Britain’s position was “very clear”: Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is for Greenlanders and Danes to decide. He said Arctic security mattered to the whole alliance and that NATO members should do more together to counter Russian threats in the region.
The Prime Minister also rejected the logic of using trade penalties against allies. Applying tariffs to NATO partners for pursuing collective security was “completely wrong”, he said, adding that the UK would raise the issue directly with the US administration.
Mr Kristersson, also posting on X, said Sweden would not “let ourselves be blackmailed” and that only Denmark and Greenland could decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. He described the dispute as affecting more countries than those named in the tariff threat and said Sweden was in intensive talks with EU partners, Norway and the UK to agree a common position.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Copenhagen retains responsibility for foreign policy, defence and security, while Greenland manages most domestic affairs.
The island has longstanding strategic significance for Washington. The US operates Pituffik Space Base in north-west Greenland under the 1951 Greenland Defence Agreement, a framework that has underpinned the American military presence since the early Cold War.
Sir Keir’s emphasis on Arctic security sits alongside NATO’s wider assessment of the High North. NATO has previously said Russia has increased military activity in the Arctic in recent years, including new commands and the reopening of former Soviet-era sites.
Mr Trump has argued that US control of Greenland would strengthen NATO and has urged the alliance to assist. Greenland’s authorities have rejected takeover proposals and have said defence should be handled within NATO arrangements rather than through any change in sovereignty.
The tariff threat introduces a trade lever into what European governments have treated as a security and sovereignty question. For EU member states, any formal retaliation would ordinarily be considered through the bloc’s common commercial policy, while the inclusion of the UK and Norway means parallel discussions beyond EU structures. Mr Macron’s call for a co-ordinated response and Mr Kristersson’s reference to talks with EU partners, Norway and Britain indicate an effort to align positions across European capitals before approaching Washington.
