Trump: ‘Hand over Greenland or face a tariff barrage’… declares trade war on eight European countries

U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a “tariff war” against eight major European countries to force the purchase of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Calling Greenland a strategic asset essential to U.S. and global security, he said tariffs would be imposed until the deal is finalized.

On the 17th (local time), Trump wrote on Truth Social that “the United States has, for decades, effectively subsidized Denmark and European Union (EU) countries by refraining from imposing tariffs,” adding that “now Denmark must pay the price.” He also claimed that “China and Russia want Greenland, and Denmark has no means to stop them.”

Commenting on Greenland’s security posture, Trump said its current protection amounts to “about two dog sleds,” arguing that “only the United States can manage this issue.” He described Greenland as “sacred land” directly tied not only to U.S. national security but also to global security.

He criticized Denmark as well as Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland for recently visiting Greenland, saying that “moves with unclear purposes are threatening the safety and survival of the planet.” He argued these countries are creating risks beyond what they can handle.

Accordingly, Trump said he will impose a 10% tariff starting Feb. 1 on all goods those countries export to the United States, and raise it to 25% starting June 1. He stressed that the tariffs “will remain in place until an agreement is reached on the full and total purchase of Greenland.”

Trump claimed that the United States has been trying to buy Greenland for more than 150 years, and that multiple presidents made similar attempts but Denmark refused. He pointed to the “Golden Dome” project as the backdrop to this move. Golden Dome is a space-based, multi-layer missile defense system announced in May 2025 by the second Trump administration, a massive defense program estimated to require roughly $175 billion to as much as several trillion dollars.

“At a time when Golden Dome and modern weapons systems are being built, securing Greenland has become more important than ever,” he said, arguing that “for a large-scale missile defense system—including defense of Canada—to operate at maximum efficiency, Greenland must be included given the geographic angles and coverage.”

He added that “the United States is open to immediate negotiations with Denmark and the relevant countries,” saying it is “regrettable that this situation has arisen despite the highest level of security protection provided for decades.”