Trump Escalates Greenland Pressure Campaign By Threatening Tariffs On Allies
President Trump threatened a 10% blanket tariff on eight European allies in an effort to force Denmark to give up control of Greenland over the weekend. He said tariffs would begin February 1 and rise to 25% by June if no deal is reached to acquire the semi-autonomous territory that Denmark has controlled since the 1700s.
New insight: Beyond arguments from White House officials that full control of Greenland is vital for U.S. national security, a text exchange between Trump and Norway’s prime minister on Sunday offers one of the motivations behind the push – namely, Trump not being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
THE MESSAGES
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he sent a text message to Trump on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, suggesting the parties hop on a call to “de-escalate.”
Trump responded a few hours later: “Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway?”
Trump continued: “I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”
Støre said he has repeatedly told Trump that an independent committee awards the Nobel Prize, not the government. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado – who did win the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize – gifted Trump her prize last week and said they should share it. (Trump accepted it, but the Nobel Committee did not.)
WHITE HOUSE MOVES
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller argued Friday that acquiring Greenland is “essential” to U.S. national security, portraying the Arctic as the next major arena of global competition.
Miller claimed that Denmark, which first landed in Greenland in 1721, lacks the economic and military capacity to defend the territory.
The Trump administration is considering declaring a national emergency tied to Greenland, which would give the president broad authority to impose tariffs without congressional approval. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the idea over the weekend, saying that a “national emergency” declaration is actually about “avoiding a national emergency.”
“I feel [Greenland] is psychologically needed for success. I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can’t do, whether you’re talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can’t get from just signing a document,” Trump recently told the New York Times.
EUROPE REACTS
NATO allies say the U.S. argument about national security does not add up. The U.S. already has extensive access to Greenland through existing agreements, including U.S. military bases, radar systems, and freedom of movement for American forces. In. fact, the US has 15 closed military bases on the island that they could reopen at any time, but have chosen not to. Danish officials say they’ve offered to expand cooperation — but sovereignty is non-negotiable.
Trade Bazooka: European leaders will discuss options at an emergency summit Thursday in Brussels. They are reportedly considering retaliatory tariffs worth up to $108 billion and a nuclear economic option known as the “Anti-Coercion Instrument” (ACI).
While it has never been used, the ACI would restrict U.S. suppliers’ access to the EU market and more.
REWIND: European countries already negotiated down to a 15% tariff trade deal with Trump. The European Parliament was set to ratify the deal next week, but that will likely be put on hold with the latest threats.
On the ground in Greenland, which is home to about 56,000 people, Trump’s actions have brought out thousands of protesters. In the U.S., Trump also lacks public support with a CNN poll showing 75% of Americans oppose the U.S. “attempting to take control of Greenland.”
UP NEXT
Options are being finalized ahead of high-stakes meetings with Trump this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Trump is expected to travel to Switzerland tomorrow ahead of a speech scheduled for Wednesday.
In the U.S., Trump would need congressional approval to purchase Greenland (which could cost more than $1 trillion if it was for sale), and members of his own party are criticizing the latest moves. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and Rand Paul are among the Republicans who have criticized the tariff proposal.
We are also waiting on a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s use of tariffs via emergency order, which have become a central tool in his negotiations with world leaders. That decision is expected as early as this week.