Denmark and seven other European countries threatened by Donald Trump with tariffs issued a joint statement affirming that Europe will not be blackmailed and that they will stand firmly alongside Greenland.
On 18 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared firmly, “Europe will not be blackmailed,” as she and other European leaders consider measures to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of new tariffs over the Greenland issue.
Earlier, Trump stated he would impose new tariffs on eight U.S. allies — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom — at a rate of 10% starting 1 Feb, rising to 25% on 1 Jun, in response to their opposition to his proposal to acquire Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory.
Trump insisted that Greenland is vital to U.S. security and did not rule out the use of force to seize it, a stance that has sparked widespread criticism.
Currently, the group of countries threatened with tariffs has issued a joint statement warning that Trump's plan risks creating a dangerous and escalating situation.
“Threatening with tariffs undermines transatlantic relations,” the statement said, emphasizing they will “stand fully alongside the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
The eight European nations also stressed that, as NATO members, they remain “committed to strengthening security in the Arctic region together for the benefit of all members on both sides of the Atlantic.”
“We are ready to negotiate based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, principles we have always firmly upheld.”
Separately, Frederiksen posted on Facebook: “We seek cooperation and are not the ones seeking conflict. I welcome the consistent message from other European countries that Europe will not be intimidated... This underscores the importance of standing firm on the fundamental values that built the European community.”
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he had spoken directly with Frederiksen, as well as Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Sunday, before meeting with Trump.
Sir Starmer reiterated that Greenland’s security is a top priority for all NATO members. He added that imposing tariffs on allies simply for trying to maintain NATO members’ shared security is “wrong.”
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Source:bbc