European leaders scrambled on Sunday to counter President Donald Trump’s latest threat of massive tariffs over his designs on Greenland, after the US President shook transatlantic relations by promising to punish eight European nations that opposed his plan to purchase the territory.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged Washington to reconsider its aggressive stance during a high-profile diplomatic visit to Seoul. Meloni, who typically maintains a positive rapport with Trump, described the proposed economic penalties as a significant strategic error.
“I believe that imposing new sanctions today would be a mistake,” Meloni told reporters after speaking directly with the President. Although she sought to bridge the gap, she admitted that a “problem of understanding and communication” currently plagues the relationship. She argued that NATO must now take an active role in resolving this rapidly growing Arctic security crisis.
Transatlantic Ties Under Fire
The conflict escalated after several European nations sent troops to Greenland for military drills, a move that infuriated the White House. Consequently, Trump threatened a 10% tariff on all goods from these nations starting 1 February, rising to 25% by June.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to challenge these “wrong” and “counterproductive” threats at the earliest possible opportunity. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron called on the European Union to deploy its powerful “anti-coercion instrument” to defend its markets. This trade “bazooka” allows the EU to curb imports of goods and services from nations that use economic pressure.
While diplomats argue in Brussels, thousands of citizens in Nuuk and Copenhagen protested on Saturday against any prospect of US annexation. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel condemned the ultimatum, labeling the President’s threat an “inexplicable” form of international “blackmail.”
France’s Agricultural Minister Annie Genevard warned that this escalation would eventually hurt American farmers and industrialists just as much as Europeans. EU officials warned that these tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral for the global economy.
