The profile of a model of US President Donald Trump superimposed on the EU and Greenland flags in a photo illustration from January 17, 2026. © Dado Ruvic, Reuters
European nations threatened with new tariffs if they oppose US President Donald Trump’s plans for Greenland said on Sunday that they “stand united”. Such threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral”, said a joint statement from the UK, France, Denmark, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments.
Eight European nations targeted by rising tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump said in a joint statement that they stood in solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland following the US president’s threat to annex the Arctic island.
“As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Britain said in the statement.
“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” the statement said.
“We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”
GERMANY
Germany and its European partners will not be “blackmailed” by US President Donald Trump, German finance minister and vice chancellor Lars Klingbeil said.
Germany will always extend a hand to the US to find common solutions but Berlin cannot go along with Washington on this point, Klingbeil said in a statement.
“And so the very clear signal: we will not be blackmailed, and there will be a European response,” he added.
FRANCE
French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard warned Sunday that US President Trump’s proposed tariffs on European countries opposing his plans to purchase Greenland would be “deadly for the United States”. Trump on Saturday threatened a 10-percent tariff from February 1 on all goods sent to the US from eight European countries, including France.
The United States will also suffer if President Trump implements threats to impose tariffs on European countries opposing his plans to acquire Greenland, the French minister said on Sunday.
“In this escalation of tariffs, he has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists,” French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard told broadcasters Europe 1 and CNews.
Trump has threatened to impose a 10-percent tariff from February 1 on all goods sent to the United States from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland.
CRISIS MEETING
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting to discuss US President Donald Trump’s tariff threat.
Cyprus, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said late on Saturday that it had called the meeting for Sunday.
EU diplomats said it was set to start at 5pm.
EU will retaliate
The European Union will retaliate if US tariff threats against European allies over Greenland materialise, but it is premature to consider using the bloc’s “Anti-Coercion Instrument”, Ireland’s prime minister said.
“The tempo here has increased very dramatically, very quickly. Be in no doubt that Europe will obviously retaliate if these tariffs are imposed, and that will lead to a very serious situation globally,” Micheal Martin said.
“Obviously, dialogue has to happen to prevent that from occurring … We’re not getting into specifics just yet, and I think that (the Anti-Coercion Instrument) is a bit premature today but of course it may be put on the table,” Martin added in an interview with national broadcaster RTE.
US-Europe trade war
Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Stoere urged caution over a looming trade war after US President Donald Trump had threatened additional tariffs on eight European countries, including Norway, over their support for Greenland.
“I think we should be very careful not to have a trade war that spirals out of control. I don’t think anyone benefits from that,” Stoere told broadcaster NRK following a press conference.
