US President Donald Trump warned Friday of potential tariffs against nations resisting his drive to annex Greenland, as a cross-party delegation of American lawmakers traveled to the Danish territory to defuse escalating diplomatic strains.
The remarks, delivered during a White House session on rural healthcare, underscored Trump’s insistence on acquiring the Arctic island for security purposes, despite widespread opposition from Denmark, Greenland, and allies.
“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said.
He has previously suggested the US could obtain Greenland “the easy way” or “the hard way,” implying purchase or force, without specifying targeted countries or legal grounds for such duties.
The sparsely inhabited but strategically vital island hosts a US-operated missile-monitoring base at Pituffik, with over 100 personnel stationed there since World War II. Existing pacts allow unlimited US troop deployments, but Trump argues outright ownership is essential to counter threats from Russia or China.
Denmark has cautioned that any military seizure could dismantle NATO, prompting European partners—including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK—to deploy reconnaissance forces to Greenland.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that “land, air, and sea assets” would be dispatched soon.
Most Greenlanders reject Trump’s overtures, viewing them as a threat to their autonomy.
The 11-strong congressional group, comprising Democrats and Republicans, convened with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenlandic leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and local MPs to convey solidarity.
Led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, the visit aimed “to listen to the locals and take their views back to Washington ‘to lower the temperature,'” according to the lawmaker.b68418
Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski joined the effort, with Murkowski co-sponsoring legislation to thwart annexation. A counter-bill from a GOP congressman backs the takeover.
Greenlandic MP Aaja Chemnitz described the engagement as encouraging: “We need friends. We need allies.”
She added: “It’s a marathon, not a short sprint. The pressure from the US side is something that we’ve seen since 2019. It would be naive to think that everything is over now. It’s changing almost hour by hour. So as much support as we can get, the better.”
Trump’s Greenland envoy, Jeff Landry, told Fox News a pact was feasible: “I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out. The president is serious. I think he’s laid the markers down.”
He continued: “He’s told Denmark what he’s looking for, and now it’s a matter of having Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio and Vice-President JD Vance make a deal. The United States has always been a welcoming party. We don’t go in there trying to conquer anybody and trying to take over anybody’s country. We say, ‘Listen. We represent liberty. We represented economic strength. We represent protection.'”
Recent White House talks involving Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers with Vance and Rubio explored a “middle ground,” per a Danish official speaking anonymously.
The source clarified no discussions addressed US troop incursions: “We have never been in any discussions with any senior official or minister about the prospects of the United States sending in troops to Greenland.”
However, Copenhagen treats Trump’s rhetoric gravely: “It is our working hypothesis that on this issue what he says is what he means.”
The standoff highlights fractures within NATO, with allies stressing collective Arctic defense over unilateral US control.
