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Trump said it was ‘time for Denmark to give back’ to the US
Alex Croft & Kate DevlinSunday 18 January 2026 00:35 GMT- Bookmark
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EU diplomats will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting after Donald Trump announced tariffs against European countries over their opposition to US control of Greenland.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said 10 per cent tariffs would come into effect on February 1 on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland.
Those tariffs would increase to 25 per cent on June 1 and would continue until a deal is reached for the US to purchase Greenland, Trump said. The meeting between EU officials will take place at around 5pm local time (4pm GMT, 11am ET).
"World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing Denmark can do about it," Trump said. He went on to claim Greenland is only protected by two dogsleds.
It has prompted fury in Europe. "Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral European Commission president,” Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer branded the tariffs “completely wrong”, while French president Emmanuel Macron said the move was “unacceptable”, adding: “No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland.”
Key Points
- EU calls emergency meeting over Trump tariff announcement
- Trump says US control of Greenland necessary for world peace
- Tariffs 'completely wrong', says Starmer
- Macron: Trump's intimidation and threats will not influence us
- Trump announces 10% tariffs on UK and other countries over Greenland
Keir Starmer says Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over Greenland is ‘completely wrong’
Sir Keir Starmer has lashed out at Donald Trump’s decision to hit the UK and other European countries with a 10 per cent tariff if they continue their opposition to a US takeover of Greenland.
The US president threatened to increase the tariff to 25 per cent from 1 June, until a deal is reached to buy Greenland from Denmark. It applies to the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
Sir Keir said the government will take this up directly with the Trump administration, after the US president warned “world peace” is at stake if the US is not permitted to control the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
"Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong,” the prime minister said in a statement. “We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration."
Read the full report here:
Starmer says Trump’s threat to impose tariffs over Greenland is ‘completely wrong’
US president accuses several countries of playing ‘a dangerous game’ Alex Croft18 January 2026 00:35EU leaders' statement in full
As we reported earlier, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa said in a joint statement that Trump’s move would case a “dangerous downwards spiral”.
Here is their statement in full:
Alex Croft18 January 2026 00:10“Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law.
“They are essential for Europe and for the international community as a whole.
“We have consistently underlined our shared transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, including through Nato.
“The pre-coordinated Danish exercise, conducted with allies, responds to the need to strengthen Arctic security and poses no threat to anyone.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland. Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty.”
'This isn't trade policy. It's pressure politics'
Liam Byrne, Labour chair of the UK’s Commons Business and Trade Committee, said on social media: “This isn’t trade policy. It’s pressure politics.
“Using tariffs to punish allies for lawful security decisions sets a dangerous precedent.
“Britain must now stand with its allies to force a rethink – calmly, collectively – but with consequences.”
And UK Treasury minister Torsten Bell wrote: “Madness – totally wrong when all Nato allies should be focused on the Russian threat and Ukraine.”
Alex Croft17 January 2026 23:45US official says EU should consider separating Greenland tariff issue from US trade deal
A US trade representative said on Saturday it is up to Europe to decide whether it wants to raise Donald Trump’s new tariff threats during negotiations on a trade deal.
"If I were the Europeans I would probably try to silo this off if they can. If they want to make it an issue in the trade deal that's really up to them and not us," Jamieson Greer told reporters at the Detroit auto show.
Trump on Saturday vowed to hit some European allies with tariffs for opposing his over desire to take over Greenland.
Alex Croft17 January 2026 23:19Donald Trump says he is speaking with NATO on occupying Greenland
Donald Trump says he is speaking with NATO on occupying GreenlandAlex Croft17 January 2026 22:59Trump tariffs 'more bad news' for British business, says Chambers of Commerce
The Trump tariffs would be more bad news for British businesses, the British Chambers of Commerce said.
William Bain, its head of trade policy, said in a statement: “New tariffs on goods exported to the US will be more bad news for UK exporters, already struggling with the tariffs levied last year.
“We know trade is one way to boost the economy and the success of transatlantic trade depends on reducing, not raising, tariffs.
“The Government must prioritise the implementation of the Economic Prosperity Deal and negotiate calmly to remove the threat of these new tariffs.”
Alex Croft17 January 2026 22:41Tariffs will provoke 'dangerous downwards spiral', warn EU leaders
European Union leaders on Saturday warned of a "dangerous downward spiral" over Trump's vow to implement increasing tariffs on European allies until the US purchase of Greenland is permitted.
"Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council president Antonio Costa said in posts on X.
The bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said tariffs would hurt prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic, while distracting the EU from its "core task" of ending Russia's war in Ukraine.
Costa and von der Leyen said it would cause a ‘dangerous downwards spiral’ (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All right reserved)Alex Croft17 January 2026 22:25'China and Russia having a field day', says EU's top diplomat
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has said China and Russia will be having a “field day” after Trump’s tariff announcement.
“China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among Allies,” she wrote on X.
“If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.”
In his announcement, Trump argued that only the US can protect Greenland from China and Russia.
Ms Kallas also said the dispute must not distract from ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
(AFP via Getty Images)Alex Croft17 January 2026 22:10EU calls emergency meeting over Trump tariff announcement
Ambassadors from the European Union's 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting after US president Donald Trump vowed a wave of increasing tariffs on European allies until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland.
Cyprus, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said late on Saturday that it had called the meeting for Sunday. EU diplomats said it was set to start at 5pm (4pm GMT, 11am ET).
Alex Croft17 January 2026 21:49European lawmakers set to block EU-US trade deal over tariff announcement
Lawmakers in the European Union may be set to block the approval of the bloc’s trade deal with the US, after Donald Trump as threatened tariffs on seven countries over their Greenland policy.
Manfred Weber, the president of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament - the largest political group - said an agreement with the US is no longer possible.
“The EPP is in favor of the EU-US trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” Mr Weber said in a post on social media.
The agreement to lower tariffs on US products “must be put on hold”, he said.
The trade agreement was struck between European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Trump last summer, as the former looked to avoid a full-blown trade war with the US.
But it still requires approval from the parliament, and critics have said it is too heavily weighted in the US’ favour.
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