Trump tariffs LIVE: European leaders decry move; is EU-US trade deal off the table?

Trump tariffs LIVE: European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that China and Russia stand to benefit from divisions between the United States and Europe.

“If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity,” said Kallas, reported the news agency AP.

Trump tariffs LIVE: Bertram Kawlath, the President of the German engineering association VDMA, told the news agency Reuters that if the European Union gives in to the Trump tariffs, it will only encourage the US to make the next ‘ludicrous’ demand and threaten Trump tariffs.

“If the EU gives in here, it will only encourage the U.S. president to make the next ludicrous demand and threaten further tariffs,” Bertram Kawlath, president of the German engineering association VDMA, told the news agency.

“Highly controversial political goals are being tied to economic sanctions in an unacceptable manner,” said Volker Treier, a foreign trade specialist at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK).

Trump tariffs LIVE: Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, on Sunday, 18 January 2026, said that the tensions between the United States and Europe need to be lowered as no country benefits from a trade war.

“We must lower tensions between US and Europe. A trade war does not benefit anyone,” said Støre, cited by the news agency Reuters on Sunday.

Trump tariffs LIVE: The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Keir Starmer, condemned US President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on European nations over Greenland, as the leader called out the move as “completely wrong.”

Starmer reiterated Britain's stance on Greenland, and said that the Arctic island is “part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.”

UK Prime Minister also said that the security in the Arctic region is a concern for the entire NATO alliance and that all member states, hence, they should work together to address threats posed by Russia across the region.

Starmer also criticised the idea of imposing tariffs on allies pursuing collective security measures.

“Our position on Greenland is very clear - it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes. We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of NATO and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic,” said the UK PM Keir Starmer in his statement on X.

Trump tariffs LIVE: Seema Srivastava, Senior Research Analyst at SMC Global Securities, said that the gold and silver prices are likely to witness a boost from US President Donald Trump's tariffs imposed on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, and Germany, among other nations.

“The recent tariff announcement by President Trump is likely to boost gold and silver prices as investors seek safe-haven assets amidst escalating trade tensions,” said Srivastava.

“The tariffs imposed on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland may weaken the US dollar, making gold and silver more attractive. This could lead to increased demand and higher prices for precious metals. As for the Indian stock market, the tariffs may have a mixed impact,” said the market expert.

“A weaker US dollar could make Indian exports more competitive, potentially benefiting sectors like IT and textiles. However, increased global trade tensions may also lead to market volatility, negatively impacting investor sentiment,” said Seema Srivastava.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a US invasion of Greenland "would make Putin the happiest man on earth" in a newspaper interview published on Sunday, news agency AFP reported.

"If we focus on Greenland, I have to say that a U.S. invasion of that territory would make Vladimir Putin the happiest man in the world. Why? Because it would legitimize his attempted invasion of Ukraine," Sanchez reported said in the interview published in La Vanguardia newspaper.

His comments come after Trump on Saturday vowed to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on America's European allies until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland.

According to market experts, gold and silver rates may have a gap-up opening on Monday due to escalation in the geopolitical tension and global uncertainty

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Donald Trump's additional tariffs on European allies over the Greenland issue is set to see a pushback in the Senate, with Democrats moving to block the new measure.

The Democratic pushback against Trump's announcement of tariffs against eight European nations was announced by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who accused the US President of piling misery on the American economy.

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Thousands of Greenlanders carefully marched across snow and ice to take a stand against U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday. They held signs of protest, waved their national flag and chanted “Greenland is not for sale” in support of their own self-governance in the face of increasing threats of an American takeover.

Trump's announcement sparked widespread condemnation from leaders of the European Union (EU), with most calling the action unacceptable and vowing to stand behind Greenland amid the US President's ambitions to annex it.

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According to a report, the centre-right and largest group, the European People’s Party (EPP), and the second-biggest bloc of MEPs in the Socialists & Democrats group said they will pull the plug on the parliamentary legal process on Wednesday.

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While European leaders pushed back diplomatically, netizens were a bit less reserved and attacked the US President, calling him a ‘dictator’ and labelling the USA as 'North Korea v2'.

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“Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” said UK PM Keir Starmer.

“We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of NATO and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic,” he added.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration,” Starmer stated.

US Senator Bernie Sanders took to X and said, “Trump is raising tariffs on 8 NATO allies because they rightly support Denmark's sovereignty in Greenland. Destroying our closest alliances to take Greenland — which Denmark lets us use freely already — is insane. Congress must say NO.”

In Copenhagen, protesters marched to the US embassy holding the red-and-white flag of Greenland and signs reading "No means No" and “Hands off Greenland”, while chanting “Greenland is not for sale”, according to Reuters.

Some participants wore red baseball caps similar to Trump’s "Make America Great Again" caps, but with the message "Make America Go Away."

In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, thousands led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen carried flags and banners while chanting "Kalaallit Nunaat," the island’s name in Greenlandic, as they marched to the US consulate.

“I’ve come here today because I think it’s important to show that Greenland is not for sale. It is not a toy. This is our home,” said Naja Holm, a civil servant.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday intensified his efforts to acquire Greenland, warning several European countries of tariffs of up to 25 percent until his purchase of the Danish territory is completed, according to AFP.

Trump's threats coincided with thousands of people protesting in Greenland’s capital against his desire to acquire the mineral-rich island at the gateway to the Arctic.

Thousands more also took to the streets in Copenhagen and other cities across Denmark.

European Union leaders on Saturday cautioned about a "dangerous downward spiral" following US President Donald Trump’s pledge to impose escalating tariffs on European allies until the United States is permitted to purchase Greenland.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa said in posts on X, "Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday condemned US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose heavy tariffs on European allies opposing his attempts to acquire Greenland, calling it “completely wrong"

Starmer said in a statement, “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”

He added, “We have also made clear that Arctic Security matters for the whole of Nato and allies should all do more together to address the threat from Russia across different parts of the Arctic.”

British Prime Minister Starmer said imposing tariffs on allies for safeguarding NATO’s collective security is entirely wrong, as per Reuters.

Dutch Foreign Minister says Netherlands has acknowledged President Trump’s tariff announcement, according to Reuters.

On Saturday, thousands of Greenlanders marched across snow and ice to protest against US President Donald Trump. Carrying signs, waving their national flag, and chanting “Greenland is not for sale", they demonstrated in support of their self-governance amid growing concerns over a potential American takeover, according to AP.

US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European countries that do not allow him to acquire Greenland “come as a surprise,” Denmark’s Foreign Minister said Saturday in a statement to AFP.

Lars Lokke Rasmussen said, “The purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the president refers, is precisely to enhance security in the Arctic.”

He added, “We are in close contact with the European Commission and our other partners on the matter,” speaking just days after attending talks at the White House with US and Greenlandic officials regarding the Greenland issue.

President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs against European countries over Greenland reflects Europe’s weakness and inability to act, the head of Germany’s DIW economic research institute said on Saturday, according to Reuters.

DIW President Marcel Fratzscher said, "Europe has steadily given in and let Trump have his way, instead of standing up for its own interests and promoting multilateralism globally."

He added, "This mistake is now coming back to haunt us," warning that Trump would "continue to blackmail Europe until Europe ... shows backbone, and acts more wisely."

German auto lobby chief says impact of Trump’s proposed extra tariffs would be massive, according to Reuters.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Saturday said it was for Europe to decide how to respond to fresh tariff threats from President Donald Trump against certain European countries over Greenland, according to Reuters.

Speaking to reporters at the Detroit auto show, Greer said, “If I were the Europeans I would probably try to silo this off if they can. If they want to make it an issue in the trade deal that's really up to them and not us.”

His remarks came after Trump vowed on Saturday to impose tariffs on some European allies for opposing his push to take over Greenland.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that US President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs over Greenland was unacceptable, adding that Europe would respond in a unified manner if the measures were confirmed, according to Reuters.

In a post on X, Macron said, “No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations.”

He added, “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed.”

On Truth Social, Trump mentioned, "These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Saturday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s warning to European countries of steep tariffs if they did not allow him to acquire Greenland.

“We won't let ourselves be intimidated,” he said in a message to AFP, adding, “Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them.”

Kristersson said, “I will always defend my country and our allied neighbours,” underlining that the issue was “a European question.”

He also said Sweden was engaged in “intensive discussions” with other EU nations, as well as Norway and the United Kingdom, to work towards a joint response.

European Council President Antonio Costa said on Saturday that the European Union would stand firmly by international law in response to fresh tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, adding that he was working to coordinate a collective EU response.

As per Reuters, speaking at a press conference after the EU signed a free trade agreement with Mercosur, and shortly after Trump vowed to impose tariffs on European allies opposing his push to take over Greenland, Costa said, “What we can say is that the European Union will always be very firm in defending international law, wherever it may be, which of course begins within the territory of the member states of the European Union.”

He added, “For now, I am coordinating a joint response from the member states of the European Union on this issue.”