Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, on Tuesday issued a series of strong statements, warning US President Donald Trump, after his tariff threat to EU nations over Greenland, that any attempt to provoke a trade war with Europe would be met with a decisive response.
Frederiksen said that they would not compromise on matters of sovereignty, identity, borders, or democracy and emphasised that the situation had broader implications for the global order, according to Reuters. The Prime Minister also described the current circumstances as a “dark chapter”.
"We cannot negotiate on sovereignty, identity, borders, or democracy; this is a question of the world order, the worst may still be ahead of us, and if someone starts a trade war with Europe, we will of course respond. This is a dark chapter we are finding ourselves in,” said Frederiksen.
The EU’s Kaja Kallas stated that no country has the right to seize the territory of another, whether in Ukraine or Greenland.
The eight European nations targeted by Trump with a 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland strongly slammed the move on Sunday, warning that his threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral". In a joint statement, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland emphasised that the troops deployed to Greenland for operation “Arctic Endurance” pose “no threat to anyone".
Trump wrote on Truth Social that on June 1st, 2026, the tariff would be raised to 25% and would remain due and payable until a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.
‘We will not be pressured’
Amid rising tensions in recent days, thousands of Greenlanders took to the streets over the weekend to protest any attempts to take over their island. Greenland’s PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in a Facebook post on Monday that the tariff threats would not alter their position. “We will not be pressured,” he wrote.
As per AP, Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business, minerals, energy, justice, and equality, mentioned that she was impressed by the swift response of allied nations to the tariff threat, noting that it demonstrated that countries recognise “this is about more than Greenland.” She added, “I think a lot of countries are afraid that if they let Greenland go, what would be next?”
Meanwhile, the Norwegian government released a message from Trump to Gahr Støre on Sunday in which he noted that, since Norway had decided not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize for having ended eight wars, he no longer felt obligated to focus solely on peace. He added that the world would not be secure unless the United States had complete control of Greenland.
The White House confirmed the message’s authenticity, with deputy press secretary Anna Kelly stating that Trump believes Greenlanders would be better protected by the US against modern threats in the Arctic region.
