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Donald Trump has affirmed his commitment to implement tariffs on European nations that oppose his efforts to gain control of Greenland, stating he will “100%” follow through.
European allies have voiced support for Greenland’s sovereignty. Denmark’s foreign minister underscored that the US president cannot use threats to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper reiterated the UK’s stance, emphasizing that the future of Greenland should be determined “by Greenlanders and the Danes alone.”
On Monday, Trump declined to rule out the potential use of force and asserted his intention to proceed with threatened tariffs on goods entering the US from the UK and seven other NATO-allied countries.
When questioned by NBC News about the possibility of using force to seize Greenland, Trump responded with “No comment.”
The US president stated he would impose a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” shipped to the US from Britain starting February 1, increasing to 25% from June 1, until an agreement is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
Trump indicated that the same measures would apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland – all members of the NATO defense alliance established in 1949.
Asked by NBC News if he will follow through on the tariff threat, Mr Trump told NBC News: “I will, 100%.”
Trump commented: “Europe should prioritize the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, considering the consequences… That should be Europe’s focus, not Greenland.”
Denmark has cautioned that US military intervention in Greenland would signify the end of NATO. Recently, Greenland has received backing from European members of the alliance, with some even deploying a small number of troops to Greenland last week in a symbolic gesture.
However, Trump responded to this deployment by announcing tariffs on the eight NATO allies.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen asserted that Europe must demonstrate to President Trump that tariff threats are “not the appropriate approach.”
“We have inviolable boundaries,” he stated to Sky News. “You cannot threaten your way to ownership of Greenland. I have no intention of escalating this situation.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte affirmed that the alliance will continue to collaborate with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security.
The European Union will convene an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday for its leaders to discuss a response to Trump’s latest threat regarding Greenland.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, stated that the bloc has “no intention of initiating a conflict, but we will defend our position.”
“However, trade threats are not the appropriate method,” Kallas added. “Sovereignty is not negotiable.”
This development follows the release of text exchanges between Trump and the Norwegian prime minister, revealing that on Sunday, the US president blamed Norway for the fact he didn’t get the Nobel Peace Prize.
In his response, viewed by the BBC, Jonas Gahr Støre clarified that an independent committee, not the Norwegian government, awards the prize, which was given to Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado last October.
“Norway’s stance on Greenland is unambiguous. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark on this matter,” Støre added.
Trump also addressed the text message exchange in Monday’s interview, stating: “Norway completely controls it [the Nobel Prize] despite their claims.”
“They claim to have no involvement, but they have complete control.”
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The US president insists Norway controls who gets the coveted prize, while the Norwegian government says it has nothing to do with the decision.
Michelle O’Neill expresses being “aghast at developments” following the US president’s warning of tariff increases related to Greenland.
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The prime minister is seeking to downplay how he intends to react to Trump’s threat of tariffs.
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