January 19, 2026. WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS — U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified a major transatlantic dispute by threatening sweeping tariffs on eight European and NATO allies unless the United States is permitted to negotiate for the purchase of Greenland, heightening economic and diplomatic tensions between Washington and Brussels.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump announced that a 10 % tariff on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will be imposed beginning Feb. 1, escalating to 25 % on June 1 unless those nations relent and agree to negotiate over Greenland’s sovereignty.
The threatened tariffs are directly linked to Trump’s outspoken aim to secure full U.S. control over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a move that European leaders and regional officials have repeatedly rejected. A U.S. official described the measures as leverage to force talks, a tactic that has triggered widespread rebuke and market unease.
European Union ambassadors convened in Brussels on Sunday to coordinate a response, emphasizing that Trump’s tariff threats “undermine transatlantic relations” and risk a “dangerous downward spiral” in diplomatic ties, according to officials familiar with the discussions. The EU is weighing potential retaliatory tariffs totaling up to €93 billion ($108 billion) on U.S. goods and considering invoking an anti-coercion trade instrument aimed at countering economic pressure from Washington.
EU leaders are set to meet in an emergency summit later this week to finalize their strategy. A senior EU diplomat said the bloc “stands united” in opposition to the U.S. tariff threat and would consider all measures to protect European markets.
European capitals have reacted strongly. Officials from Denmark, the sovereign state responsible for Greenland, and other allies have warned that linking tariffs to sovereign decisions on territory could damage NATO cooperation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly condemned the tariff strategy as “completely wrong,” while French President Emmanuel Macron has urged activation of robust EU trade defenses.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted in Greenland and Denmark under the slogan “Hands Off Greenland,” with demonstrators rejecting U.S. interference in the island’s future and stressing the primacy of local democratic choice.
Global financial markets showed signs of volatility following Trump’s announcement, with increased interest in safe-haven assets such as precious metals and pressure on equities, according to early trading data. Analysts warn that the tariff dispute could complicate pending trade negotiations between the U.S. and European partners, and potentially delay implementation of broader trade agreements.
Originally published by : Reuters, Associated Press (AP), AFP, The Guardian, and Yahoo Finance.
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