The US president has threatened eight European NATO members with tariffs for opposing his plan to acquire Greenland.
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| FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at Istres air force base, January 15, 2026 © AP / Philippe Magoni |
French President Emmanuel Macron vowed a “united and coordinated” response after his US counterpart Donald Trump threatened eight European NATO nations with tariffs for opposing his campaign to acquire Greenland.
The tariffs, announced by Trump on Saturday, target Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland. They are set to take effect on February 1 at 10% and rise to 25% in June, remaining in place until a “complete and total purchase” of the Danish autonomous territory is achieved.
“France is committed to the sovereignty and independence of nations, in Europe and elsewhere,” Macron wrote on X. “No intimidation or threat will influence us – neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world.”
“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed. We will ensure that European sovereignty is upheld,” he added.
The NATO states targeted by tariffs recently joined Denmark in sending small military contingents to Greenland, a move interpreted as a symbolic reinforcement of the island’s current sovereignty. Both the Danish government and Greenland’s autonomous authorities have repeatedly stated that the territory is not for sale, and that its future rests with its people.
Macron defended his decision to send troops to Greenland. “We fully assume this decision, because security in the Arctic and at the outer edges of our Europe is at stake,” he wrote.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has refused to comment on the growing internal dispute. Trump has previously refused to rule out withdrawing from the bloc if other members obstruct his Greenland ambitions.
In recent weeks, Trump has renewed and intensified efforts to bring Greenland under US control, a goal he has pursued since his first term. He claims the acquisition is vital for US national security to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic – an assertion both Beijing and Moscow have rejected.
