Denmark Greenland US

The eight European countries targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump for a 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland have criticized the move in an unusually strong joint statement, warning that his threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” Trump’s threat sets up a potentially dangerous test of U.S. partnerships in Europe. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland in recent days, saying they are there for Arctic security training. The Republican president appeared to indicate that he was using the tariffs as leverage to force talks over the status of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on allies over Greenland is “completely wrong.” He believes a trade war is in no one’s interest. Trump said Saturday that he would charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations, including the U.K., because of their opposition to American control of Greenland, setting up a potentially dangerous test of U.S. partnerships in Europe. Greenland is a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. The president indicated the tariffs were retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from the European countries to Greenland.