Trump Accuses Denmark of Failing to Counter Russian Threat in Greenland

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The White House on Monday reposted a statement by US President Donald Trump asserting that Denmark has failed to address security concerns in Greenland, intensifying an already sharp standoff with European allies over the Arctic island and raising fears of a broader trade conflict.

In the reposted message from Trump’s Truth Social account, the US president said NATO had warned Denmark for two decades to counter what he described as a Russian threat to Greenland.

“Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!” Trump wrote.

The remarks come as European leaders strongly rejected Trump’s threats to impose sweeping tariffs unless Greenland—an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark—is ceded to the United States.

Several European governments warned that such measures would undermine the rules-based international order and strain the NATO alliance.

France took a particularly firm stance, with aides to President Emmanuel Macron saying he would ask the European Union to activate its powerful “anti-coercion instrument” if Washington follows through on additional tariffs. The mechanism, never before used and often described as the EU’s trade “bazooka,” would allow Brussels to curb imports of goods and services from the United States in retaliation.

European Council officials said an emergency summit of EU leaders would be convened in the coming days, following consultations among EU ambassadors in Brussels. The move reflects mounting concern across the bloc over the potential economic and geopolitical fallout of the dispute.

European countries, including Denmark, Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, issued a joint warning, saying Trump’s tariff threats risked a “dangerous downward spiral” in transatlantic relations.

Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen went further, saying the ultimatum threatened the world order “as we know it” and the future cohesion of NATO.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed he had spoken with Trump about security in Greenland and the Arctic region, adding that he hoped to continue discussions on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, though he declined to provide details.

The dispute also casts doubt over a trade arrangement reached in July under which most EU exports to the United States would face a 15 percent levy. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he did not believe the agreement could hold under current conditions.

Trump has repeatedly argued that bringing Greenland under US control would serve American national security interests, claiming Denmark would be unable to defend the territory against potential threats from Russia or China.

European allies countered by deploying small numbers of troops to Greenland for exercises, while inviting US participation.

Public opposition has also grown. Over the weekend, thousands of demonstrators in Greenland and Denmark protested against US pressure, with some wearing caps reading “Make America Go Away,” a pointed response to Trump’s political slogan.

Trump responded by threatening to impose tariffs starting February 1 on goods from several European countries, rising to 25 percent by June, unless a deal is reached for what he called the “complete and total purchase of Greenland.”

Even some of Trump’s closest European allies expressed unease. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said imposing new sanctions would be a mistake, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the threat as “completely wrong.” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel denounced the move as “inexplicable” blackmail.

European officials and economists have warned that a tariff escalation would harm both sides. France’s Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard cautioned that US farmers and industries would also suffer, while Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store urged restraint to avert a trade war, warning that “nobody would win.”