Donald Trump has no intention of giving up on Greenland. On the contrary. On his social media platform, Truth, he announced 10% tariffs starting February 1st against Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Finland —the countries that dared to send troops to the island— until "an agreement is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland."
Italy is not among the countries targeted : although the government is among the signatories of the declaration issued in support of Danish sovereignty, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had clarified from Tokyo that Rome would only take action by sending troops within the NATO framework.
The US president also threatened that starting June 1, 2026, tariffs on the eight European countries "will rise to 25%" if no agreement is reached . "They have put a level of risk into play that is unsustainable," Trump thundered.
EU leaders reacted immediately: "Customs duties would jeopardize transatlantic relations and risk triggering a dangerous downward spiral," Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen warned in a joint statement, assuring that "Europe will remain united in defending its sovereignty." The affected countries were particularly irritated: "The threats are unacceptable," declared French President Emmanuel Macron, assuring a "united and coordinated response," as did Germany, which, "in close contact with European partners," announced "appropriate responses at the appropriate time ." A "completely wrong" measure, commented Britain's Keir Starmer, while Denmark reportedly greeted Trump's announcement with "surprise," explaining that "the purpose of the increased military presence in Greenland, to which the president refers, is precisely to improve security in the Arctic," as the tycoon called for.
(Unioneonline)