Europe Says ‘We Won’t Be Blackmailed’ Over Trump’s Greenland Threats

European leaders are uniting against U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating pressure campaign over Greenland, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declaring that “Europe won’t be blackmailed” after Trump threatened sweeping tariffs on eight close U.S. allies unless they accept his proposal to take over the autonomous Danish territory. Trump has insisted that Greenland is essential to U.S. national security—going so far as to warn that Washington could acquire it “the easy way or the hard way”—sparking outrage across Europe and renewed concerns about U.S. respect for sovereignty. The threatened nations—Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK—issued a joint statement condemning the tariff threat as a dangerous provocation that undermines transatlantic unity and risks triggering a “downward spiral” in relations. They reaffirmed unwavering solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, emphasizing that Arctic security must be handled within NATO and grounded in territorial integrity, not coercion. Frederiksen echoed that sentiment, praising Europe’s unified stance while warning that core democratic values must remain intact amid unprecedented pressure from Washington.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who held calls with Frederiksen, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte before speaking with Trump, reiterated that Greenland’s security is a shared NATO priority but condemned any attempt to use tariffs against allies. Trump, however, remains defiant, threatening a 10% tariff—potentially rising to 25%—on European goods beginning 1 February, accusing Europe of playing a “dangerous game” that threatens global safety.

The U.S. Treasury argues Greenland can only be effectively defended as part of the U.S., a statement widely rejected in Europe as an attempt to justify economic bullying. Norway’s foreign minister warned that respect for sovereignty is the “non-negotiable foundation” of peaceful cooperation. As diplomacy intensifies ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos—where Trump, Macron, EU leaders and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney will all attend—public outrage is surging. Thousands protested in Copenhagen and Nuuk under slogans like “Hands off Greenland,” while Greenland’s U.S. representative reminded that only 6% of Greenlanders supported joining the U.S. in the last referendum. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll also shows most Americans oppose Trump’s push to acquire the Arctic territory. With tensions rising and Europe preparing potential countermeasures, the standoff has become one of the most severe tests of transatlantic unity in years