Support Greenland's takeover or suffer with tariffs — Trump's threat to allied countries
Troops from several European nations are currently deployed in Greenland at the moment.
Jan. 17 2026, Published 12:20 p.m. ET
US President Donald Trump has recently rekindled his desire to take control of Greenland, and anyone who might not be on his side could pay a heavy price. Trump said that he would not hesitate to slap tariffs on countries that do not support his Greenland annexation plan, including the US’s allies in NATO. After what happened in Venezuela, world leaders are taking the President’s threats a lot more seriously. However, few have shown signs of pushback to his ambitions.
After Trump’s repeated threats, troops from several NATO countries have landed on the Arctic island, including France, the UK, Germany, Sweden, and others. The idea is that these troops would make it a lot harder for Trump to make the decision to launch a full-scale military operation in Greenland. It’s safe to say that the US would seriously damage relations with all of its European allies if it went ahead with it at the moment.
Greenland belongs to Denmark currently, and even the residents of the island have strongly protested against any kind of US occupation. Trump, of course, couldn’t care less. He believes that Greenland is crucial for his country’s national security, as the territory is critical to the “Golden Dome” defense system his administration is developing, according to a report. The countries that have deployed troops are clearly against the idea, and Trump has gone back to threatening his own allies with tariffs.
"I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security," he said at a health roundtable at the White House. The President’s main concern is the presence of Russian and Chinese vessels in the area, which he sees as a direct threat to the United States. Having those forces take control of Greenland would be “unacceptable.”
Denmark, on the other hand, has acted maturely in this scenario, stating that it was open to the US having a larger military presence on the island, but warning it against crossing certain lines. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance have already held talks with Danish officials about the matter. A working group to address a wide range of issues related to Greenland will be set up shortly.
"We agreed that it makes sense to try to sit down on a high level to explore whether there are possibilities to accommodate the concerns of the president while we, at the same time, respect the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark," the Danish FM said.
Meanwhile, various sources have pointed out that there already exists a treaty between the U.S. and Denmark regarding Greenland and that the U.S. can technically expand its military base in Greenland without having to take control over the country and its existing population. But the Trump administration is not willing to revive what already exists.
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