• Trump suggests economic penalties for countries opposing U.S. control of Greenland
• Greenland Premier declares territory would choose Denmark over United States
• Congressional delegation seeks to reassure NATO allies amid diplomatic crisis

WASHINGTON (TDR) — President Donald Trump threatened Friday to impose tariffs on countries that refuse to support U.S. acquisition of Greenland, marking the first time the administration has explicitly floated economic penalties as leverage in the ongoing diplomatic dispute with Denmark and Greenland over the Arctic territory.

Speaking at a White House event on rural health care, Trump made the announcement after describing similar tariff threats against European allies over pharmaceutical pricing.

“I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that,” Trump said.

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The president did not specify which countries could face tariffs or provide details about potential rates, though U.S. tariffs on European Union exports are currently capped at 15 percent.

Denmark And Greenland Reject U.S. Overtures

Trump’s tariff statement follows high-stakes diplomatic meetings earlier this week between Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. The Wednesday meeting at the White House ended without resolution, with both sides agreeing to establish a working group while maintaining fundamentally opposed positions.

“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Rasmussen told reporters after the talks.

Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen delivered a pointed rebuke Tuesday during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen, explicitly rejecting any prospect of U.S. control.

“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark,” Nielsen said.

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The 34-year-old Greenlandic leader added that his territory of 57,000 people faces a “geopolitical crisis” amid Trump’s escalating rhetoric. Frederiksen characterized the situation as “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally.”

Congressional Delegation Seeks To Lower Temperature

A bipartisan congressional delegation led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware arrived in Copenhagen Friday to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials, seeking to reassure America’s NATO allies of continued congressional support despite Trump’s threats.

“There’s a lot of rhetoric, but there’s not a lot of reality in the current discussion in Washington,” Coons told reporters. “We spoke about the value of NATO and the commitment to respecting the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination.”

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, part of the 11-member delegation, emphasized that Greenland should be treated “as our ally, not as an asset.”

“I think it is important to underscore that when you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority, some 75%, will say, we do not think that that is a good idea,” Murkowski said.

The delegation includes Republican Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, along with Democratic Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois and Representatives Gregory Meeks, Madeleine Dean, Sara Jacobs and Sarah McBride.

“Millions of Americans are deeply concerned by the recent rhetoric about the United States taking over Greenland, either buying it or using military force. That rhetoric doesn’t just undermine our bilateral relationship, it undermines the NATO alliance,” Shaheen said at the University of Copenhagen.

Strategic Importance And Military Options

Trump has repeatedly argued that U.S. control of Greenland is essential for national security, citing the island’s strategic location along the GIUK Gap naval passage and deposits of rare earth minerals. The U.S. already operates Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland under a 1951 defense treaty.

European military personnel from France, Germany, Sweden and Norway arrived in Greenland this week for exercises, with Denmark increasing its military presence.

The White House described Greenland acquisition as a national security priority, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating that “utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option.” Trump has not ruled out military action, though Rubio indicated purchasing remains the preferred approach. Estimates suggest acquiring Greenland could cost up to $700 billion.

Will Trump’s economic threats succeed where diplomatic pressure has failed, or will they further fracture America’s oldest alliances?

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