BERLIN — European leaders moved swiftly Sunday to coordinate a response after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that eight European countries would face a 10% tariff for opposing Washington’s position on Greenland, a move that officials warned could strain transatlantic ties and deepen geopolitical divisions.
The tariff threat, unveiled Saturday, targets Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland. Trump framed the measure as leverage to push talks over the future and security status of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark that he has repeatedly described as strategically vital to U.S. national security due to its Arctic location and proximity to key shipping lanes and military infrastructure.
The announcement came as thousands of Greenlanders concluded a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, denouncing any attempt to bring the island under American control. In recent days, several European countries have deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland for what they described as Arctic security training, a move that has heightened tensions between Washington and its European partners.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that the dispute could play into the hands of rival powers. “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO,” she said in a social media post. “Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.” She added that divisions between the U.S. and Europe would benefit China and Russia.
The tariff plan raised immediate legal and logistical questions in Brussels, where diplomats noted that the EU operates as a single economic zone for trade. It remains unclear how Washington could impose country-specific tariffs within the bloc, or under what legal authority the White House would act, though U.S. emergency economic powers are one potential avenue that is currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a joint statement pledging solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. “Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” they said.
EU envoys scheduled emergency talks Sunday evening to assess potential countermeasures and a coordinated diplomatic response. Norway and the United Kingdom, which are not members of the 27-nation EU, indicated they were consulting closely with Brussels and Washington.
The move also drew criticism from across the U.S. political spectrum. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former U.S. Navy pilot, said the tariffs would raise costs for Americans while damaging alliances. “The damage this President is doing to our reputation and our relationships is growing, making us less safe,” he wrote on social media.
In Europe, Trump’s decision drew rare bipartisan opposition. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a right-wing leader often seen as close to Trump, called the tariffs “a mistake” after speaking with the U.S. president. She said the European troop deployments to Greenland were aimed at regional security concerns involving unnamed “other actors,” not the United States.
In France, Jordan Bardella, head of the far-right National Rally and a member of the European Parliament, urged the EU to suspend a recent tariff agreement with Washington, describing Trump’s move as “commercial blackmail.”
Britain’s main political parties also criticized the tariff threat. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the measure would harm British interests, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the announcement “completely wrong” and said his government would raise the issue directly with the U.S. administration.
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Norway were expected to address the crisis later Sunday at a joint news conference in Oslo, as European capitals weigh diplomatic and economic options amid rising concerns that the dispute could mark a new phase of tension in U.S.-European relations.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
