Tariff ultimatum over Greenland draws rebuke from UK as Europe rallies behind Denmark

A sharp transatlantic rift surfaced over the weekend after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer challenged US President Donald Trump over threats to use trade tariffs as leverage in negotiations on Greenland, warning that such tactics risk destabilising relations among NATO allies.

Starmer raised the issue directly with Trump in a phone call, as European capitals, NATO leadership and Washington scrambled to respond to Trump’s declaration that the United States would impose a 10 percent tariff on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland starting February 1, 2026.

Tariffs to hit June 2026

Trump has warned that the tariff would escalate to 25 per cent from June 1, 2026 if no agreement is reached on Greenland. He has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to US security interests and has not ruled out taking control of the territory by force.

According to a Downing Street readout, Starmer spoke with Trump on Sunday alongside separate calls with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“In all his calls, the prime minister reiterated his position on Greenland. He said that security in the high north is a priority for all NATO allies in order to protect Euro-Atlantic interests,” the Downing Street summary said. “He also said that applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong.”

Trump vs Starmer

The intervention places Starmer on a collision course with Trump as the US president presses ahead with the threat of tariffs against eight European countries, including Britain, unless talks on Greenland move in Washington’s favour.

The targeted countries issued a joint statement on Sunday warning that the tariff threats “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral”. They said they stood “in full solidarity” with Denmark and Greenland and remained committed to dialogue based on sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Within the European Union, ambassadors agreed to intensify diplomatic efforts to deter Washington from imposing the tariffs, while quietly preparing retaliatory measures should negotiations fail. EU leaders are expected to take up the issue at an emergency summit in Brussels later this week.

Among the options under discussion is the revival of a suspended package of tariffs on €93 billion worth of US imports. A more contentious proposal involves invoking the EU’s never-used Anti-Coercion Instrument, which would allow Brussels to limit US access to public procurement, investment opportunities or parts of the services market.

Frederiksen said Europe would not yield to pressure, echoing a broader defiant tone across the bloc. She said Europe “will not be blackmailed”, while French President Emmanuel Macron has privately supported tougher countermeasures. Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin cautioned that while retaliation would be unavoidable if tariffs were imposed, it might be premature to deploy the EU’s most powerful tools.s