US President Donald Trump has escalated his long-running push to bring Greenland under American control, saying he is considering imposing new tariffs on countries that oppose the idea.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump suggested that economic pressure could be used against nations unwilling to support what he described as a national security priority for the United States. The comments marked the first time he explicitly linked tariffs to the Greenland issue.
“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said during an event focused primarily on health care. He made the remark while recalling how his administration has previously used tariffs to compel cooperation from foreign governments on lowering drug prices.
Trump has repeatedly argued that US control of Greenland — a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally — is essential for American and allied security interests. Earlier this week, he said that any outcome short of US control would be “unacceptable.”
Greenland, the world’s largest island, occupies a strategically vital position between North America and the Arctic. It is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas and rare earth minerals, and its geography makes it a key location for missile early-warning systems and Arctic maritime surveillance.
Despite Trump’s insistence, the proposal faces widespread opposition. Denmark and Greenland have both firmly rejected the idea, while several European nations have voiced alarm. Public support within the United States is also limited, with only about 25% of Americans backing the plan, according to a recent CNN poll.
Strain on NATO alliances
Trump’s renewed rhetoric has sent shockwaves through Europe, raising the unprecedented prospect of NATO’s most powerful member seeking to annex territory belonging to another NATO ally. European leaders have warned that such a move could fracture the alliance that has underpinned transatlantic security for decades.
Denmark has gone so far as to warn that an attack on Greenland would effectively signal the end of NATO as it currently exists. This week, Copenhagen announced it was expanding its military presence on the island “in close cooperation with NATO allies.”
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway and Sweden have all confirmed they are deploying military personnel to Greenland in the coming days. Canada and France have also announced plans to open consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in the near future.
Earlier this week, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt traveled to Washington for talks with US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The meetings failed to produce a breakthrough.
Rasmussen described the discussions as “frank but also constructive,” while acknowledging that fundamental differences remain. Still, he said the parties agreed to establish a high-level working group to explore whether a compromise could be reached that addresses US concerns while respecting Denmark’s “red lines.”
Military posture unchanged — for now
Denmark’s military leadership has sought to downplay immediate tensions. Major General Søren Andersen, head of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command in Greenland, said Friday that military cooperation with the US remains unchanged despite Trump’s remarks.
Andersen confirmed that the US has been invited to participate in upcoming military exercises on the island and emphasized that current operations, including the Arctic Endurance mission, are focused on deterring Russia and safeguarding NATO’s northern flank.
“There is no immediate threat to Greenland,” he said.
Legal limits on tariffs loom
Trump’s ability to impose sweeping, country-specific tariffs may soon face legal constraints. The US Supreme Court is expected to rule shortly in a landmark case that could limit the president’s authority to levy such measures.
Even if the court curtails his powers, Trump would still have other, more limited mechanisms to raise tariffs — though none offer the same flexibility he has used in the past to single out individual countries.
For now, Trump’s tariff threat adds a new and volatile dimension to an already contentious geopolitical dispute, one that is testing alliances and reshaping Arctic politics at a critical moment. Photo by Gage Skidmore, Wikimedia commons.