Trump threatens punitive tariffs over Greenland sale

Starmer and EU leaders criticise 'completely wrong' plan

- MARYAM ZAKIR-HUSSAIN ALEX CROFT

Donald Trump has warned the UK and several European countries that they will be hit with a 10 per cent tariff if they continue their opposition to a US takeover of Greenland.

The US president also threatened to increase the tariff to 25 per cent from 1 June until a deal is reached to buy Greenland from Denmark. It applies to the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.

In a long-winded Truth Social post yesterday, Mr Trump, who is at his Mara-Lago mansion in Florida, said "world peace" is at stake, warning that China and Russia both want to control Greenland, which he says only the US can prevent.

French president Emmanuel Macron was one of the first European leaders to issue a response, declaring that “no intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland”.

"Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context," he added in a post on X. "Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty."

Sir Keir Starmer said: “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.

"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."