European leaders issued an unusually forceful rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday after he announced plans to impose sweeping tariffs on eight European countries in response to their opposition to American control of Greenland, warning that the move risks severely damaging transatlantic relations.
In a joint statement, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland said Trump’s tariff threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” marking the strongest collective criticism of Trump by European allies since his return to the White House in 2025.
The coordinated response came nearly 24 hours after Trump said the United States would impose a 10 percent tariff on all goods from the eight countries starting Feb.1, escalating to 25 percent on June1 unless negotiations begin for the U.S. to purchase Greenland. Trump made the announcement on social media, linking the tariffs directly to European resistance to U.S. efforts to acquire the Arctic territory.
Trump’s comments followed the deployment this week of small numbers of European troops and diplomatic personnel to Greenland by several NATO members, including Britain, France and Germany, for a Danish-led military training exercise known as Operation Arctic Endurance. Trump claimed the deployments heightened security risks and justified economic retaliation.
“These countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable,” Trump wrote. “Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect global peace and security, strong measures be taken.”
Trump reiterated his long-held view that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for national security, while saying Washington remains “immediately open to negotiation” with Denmark and other countries involved.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which retains authority over defense and foreign policy. The United States already operates a major military base on the island.
European governments rejected Trump’s characterization of the troop deployments, saying they posed no threat and were conducted within NATO’s established framework. The joint statement emphasized solidarity with Denmark and Greenland and reaffirmed commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,” the statement said. “Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
The response marked a shift in tone from recent months, during which European leaders largely sought to manage tensions with Trump through diplomacy while preserving U.S. support for Ukraine. The troop deployments and coordinated statement suggested Europe was now more willing to push back openly.
Six of the eight countries targeted are members of the European Union, which operates as a single trade bloc. Following emergency talks among EU envoys on Sunday, European Council President António Costa said EU leaders agreed that Trump’s tariffs are incompatible with the EU–U.S. trade agreement and warned the bloc is prepared to respond.
“They expressed readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion,” Costa said, adding that a leaders’ summit is expected later this week.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that escalating tensions would benefit China and Russia, writing on social media that if Greenland’s security is at risk, the issue should be addressed within NATO.
In Denmark, thousands of protesters gathered in Copenhagen on Saturday, chanting “Greenland is not for sale” in response to Trump’s remarks. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said dialogue with Washington remains open but emphasized that Denmark would not yield to pressure.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said threats of tariffs were unacceptable between close allies and warned against attempts to coerce European governments.
Trump’s move also drew criticism within the United States. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona said the tariff threat would force Americans to pay higher prices while damaging long-standing alliances. Former Vice President Mike Pence said he supports U.S. ownership of Greenland in principle but criticized Trump’s approach, raising concerns about constitutional authority and the risk of fracturing NATO unity.
Even some of Trump’s populist allies in Europe criticized the tariff plan. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the move as a mistake, saying European troop deployments had been misunderstood and were not directed against the United States. In France, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally party called Trump’s actions commercial blackmail and urged the European Union to consider suspending its tariff agreement with Washington.
In Britain, criticism came from across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Trump that imposing tariffs on allies for pursuing collective NATO security was wrong, according to a Downing Street spokesperson.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed he had spoken with Trump and said discussions would continue, though his cautious response has drawn criticism from some European officials.
Analysts say Trump’s strategy is unprecedented. Rasmus Søndergaard of the Danish Institute for International Studies noted that tariff threats between allies are typically rooted in trade disputes, not territorial disagreements.
“At some point, governments feel they have to push back,” Søndergaard said. “If you give in on this, what comes next?”
As tensions mount, European leaders face the challenge of defending sovereignty and alliance norms while preserving cooperation with Washington on Ukraine and global security — a balance that Trump’s escalating rhetoric over Greenland is increasingly putting under strain.
