Trump Weighs New Tariffs on Countries Opposing U.S. Annexation of Greenland

President Donald Trump says he is considering imposing new tariffs on countries that oppose his ambition for the United States to annex Greenland, raising fresh concerns among U.S. allies and escalating tensions within NATO.

Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump suggested using tariffs as leverage against nations that do not support U.S. control of Greenland, calling the territory vital to national security. He compared the idea to past tariff threats he says helped pressure countries into cooperating on lowering drug prices in the United States.

Trump has argued for months that the U.S. should control Greenland, the world’s largest island and a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally. Earlier this week, he said any outcome short of U.S. control would be unacceptable. He has cited Greenland’s strategic Arctic location and its wealth of natural resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, as key reasons for the push.

The proposal faces strong opposition from Denmark, Greenland’s leaders, and several other nations. According to a CNN poll, only about 25 percent of Americans support U.S. control of Greenland.

Trump’s remarks have strained long-standing alliances in Europe. Danish officials have warned that an attack on Greenland would effectively end NATO, while Denmark has announced an expansion of its military presence on the island in coordination with allies. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have also confirmed they are deploying military personnel to Greenland.

Canada and France have said they plan to open consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, recently met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House. While the meetings were described as frank and constructive, Rasmussen said the parties continue to disagree and will form a high-level working group to explore possible next steps.

Despite the rhetoric, Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command says there is no immediate threat to Greenland and that military cooperation with the U.S. remains unchanged.

Trump’s ability to impose sweeping, country-specific tariffs could soon face limits, as the Supreme Court is expected to rule on a landmark case involving tariff authority. Even so, legal experts say the president would still retain other mechanisms to raise import taxes.

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