Across Europe, leaders were scrambling to respond to President Trump’s extraordinary attempt to pressure allies into agreeing to the sale of Greenland through the threat of steep trade tariffs — or potential military action.
Several nations’ governments hinted at the prospect of retaliatory tariffs on the United States, while at the same time voicing hope that the dispute could be resolved without further escalation.
In a flurry of public addresses and statements on Monday, multiple European countries maintained that the future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders and the people of Denmark.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain said that the United States remained a close ally of Britain but would “stand up for our values.”
Mr. Starmer said a tariff war between the U.S. and European nations over Greenland was “not in anybody’s interests” and would affect businesses, workers and families on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, adding: “We have not got to that stage, and my focus is making sure we don’t get to that stage.”
But other nations were openly considering retaliation against Mr. Trump’s threatened financial penalties. In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he wanted to “avoid any escalation” if possible but added: “We could also retaliate.”
“If necessary, we will of course protect our European interests as well as our German national interests,” he added.
On Sunday, a spokesman for President Emmanuel Macron of France said he would advocate for the European Union to activate its “anti-coercion instrument.” Also known as the “trade bazooka,” it creates restrictions on access to the bloc’s market and “other economic disadvantages” for external countries accused of seeking to pressure member states.
European Union leaders are to host an “extraordinary meeting” on Thursday evening, where the European Council president, Antonio Costa, said they would discuss “territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” as well as “readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion.”
Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, met with his British counterpart, Yvette Cooper, in London on Monday afternoon. In remarks to reporters, Mr. Rasmussen urged allies to “combine forces” to support international principles and national sovereignty, and against Russia.
During the visit, Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen posted a statement online that said demonstrations on the island and in Denmark had expressed a “dignified unity” and that international support showed “a clear recognition that Greenland is a democratic society with the right to make its own decisions.”
“The latest statements from the U.S., including threats of tariffs, do not change that,” he said. “We will not let ourselves be pressured.”
Several NATO allies released a forceful joint statement with Denmark on Sunday that assailed the tariff threats, saying they “undermine trans-Atlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
The statement said a military exercise led by Denmark in Greenland last week, which was joined by small numbers of troops from Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands, was to strengthen Arctic security “as a shared trans-Atlantic interest” and “poses no threat to anyone.”
Mr. Trump has not ruled out military action to take Greenland by force, answering “no comment” when asked by NBC News on Monday whether he would take that step. Mr. Starmer said he did not believe Mr. Trump was genuinely considering an invasion, while Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, voiced hope that the threat of tariffs would be withdrawn.
Several European leaders are expected to raise the future of Greenland with Mr. Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
Mr. Starmer, who is not currently planning to attend the summit, talked by phone with Mr. Trump on Sunday and said he would continue dialogue over the coming days. The British prime minister added: “We must find a pragmatic, sensible, sustained way through this that avoids some of the consequences that will be very serious.”
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