Europeans reeling as Trump imposes tariffs on 8 countries over Greenland dispute

BERLIN– Europeans were reeling on Sunday after US President Donald Trump’s announcement that eight countries would face 10% tariffs to oppose US control of Greenland.

Reactions to Trump’s decision Saturday ranged from saying it risks “a dangerous downward spiral” to predicting that “China and Russia must have a field day.”

Trump’s threat poses a potentially dangerous test for U.S. partnerships in Europe. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland in recent days, saying they were there to train for Arctic security. Trump’s announcement came Saturday as thousands of Greenlanders wrapped up a protest outside the U.S. consulate in the capital, Nuuk.

The Republican president appeared to indicate he was using the tariffs as leverage to force negotiations with Denmark and other European countries over the status of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that he considers essential to U.S. national security. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face these tariffs.

Questions immediately arise about how the White House might attempt to implement the tariffs because the EU is a single economic zone in terms of trade, according to a European diplomat who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It’s also unclear how Trump might act under U.S. law, although he could cite emergency economic powers that are currently under challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said China and Russia would benefit from divisions between the United States and Europe. She added in a social media post: “If Greenland’s security is in danger, we can address it within NATO. Tariffs risk impoverishing Europe and the United States and jeopardizing our common prosperity.”

Trump’s decision was also criticized domestically.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, a former U.S. Navy pilot and Democrat who represents Arizona, said Trump’s threats of tariffs on U.S. allies would force Americans to “pay more to try to get territory we don’t need.”

“Troops from European countries are arriving in Greenland to defend the territory against us. Let him understand,” he wrote on social media. “The damage this president is doing to our reputation and relationships is increasing, making us less secure. If something doesn’t change, we will be left alone with adversaries and enemies in every direction.”

Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU27, which functions as a single economic zone in terms of trade. It was not immediately clear whether Trump’s tariffs would impact the entire bloc. EU envoys have scheduled emergency talks for Sunday evening to determine a potential response.

António Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, pledged to maintain their full solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

“Customs tariffs would harm transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated and determined to defend its sovereignty,” they wrote in a joint statement on Saturday evening.

The tariff announcement even sparked backlash from Trump’s populist allies in Europe.

Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in France and also a member of the European Parliament, said the EU should suspend last year’s tariff deal with the United States, calling Trump’s threats “trade blackmail.”

Trump also achieved the rare feat of uniting Britain’s major political parties – including the far-right Reform UK party – all of whom have criticized the tariff threat.

“We don’t always agree with the US government and in this case we certainly don’t. These tariffs will hurt us,” British reformist leader Nigel Farage, a longtime Trump supporter and ally, wrote on social media. He did not criticize Trump’s plans for Greenland.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who leads the center-left Labor Party, said the tariff announcement was “completely false” and that his government would “pursue this directly with the US administration”.

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Norway are also expected to address the crisis on Sunday in Oslo at a press conference.

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Leicester reported from Paris and Cook from Brussels. Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London and Josh Boak in West Palm Beach, Fla., contributed to this report.