'Unacceptable': European leaders hit back at Trump's Greenland tariffs threat

European leaders person deed backmost astatine U.S. President Donald Trump's menace to enforce caller tariffs connected them if they reason his effort to bargain Greenland, describing the ultimatum arsenic "completely wrong" and "unacceptable."

Trump announced connected Saturday that eight European allies would look expanding tariffs, starting astatine 10% connected Feb.1 and rising to 25% connected June 1, if a woody is not reached truthful Washington tin "buy" the Arctic territory, which is semi-autonomous and portion of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Eight NATO members' goods sent to the U.S. volition look escalating tariffs "until specified clip arsenic a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total acquisition of Greenland," Trump stated connected his societal media level Truth Social connected Saturday.

The projected tariffs would people Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K, the Netherlands and Finland, Trump said.

European leaders were speedy to respond to the latest menace with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer commenting Saturday that "applying tariffs connected allies for pursuing the corporate information of NATO allies is wholly wrong," portion French President Emmanuel Macron described them arsenic "unacceptable."

"Europeans volition respond successful a agreed and coordinated mode should they beryllium confirmed. We volition guarantee that European sovereignty is upheld," Macron stated connected societal media level X connected Saturday.

Reuters quoted a source adjacent to Macron arsenic saying helium was pushing for the activation of the Anti-Coercion Instrument, which could bounds entree to nationalist tenders successful the EU oregon restrict commercialized successful services successful which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa issued a statement Saturday successful which they said the EU "stands successful afloat solidarity with Denmark and the radical of Greenland."

It added that it was committed to further dialog pursuing talks betwixt Denmark, Greenland and apical U.S. officials past week, which ended without a diplomatic breakthrough.

Nonetheless, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Trump's tariffs menace had travel "as a surprise" pursuing the "constructive meeting" with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The European Union has called an exigency gathering which volition instrumentality spot astatine 16:00 p.m. London clip connected Sunday, Reuters reported.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who, similar British PM Keir Starmer is known to person a bully narration with Donald Trump, called for chill heads and further talks.

He warned further tariffs — which would travel connected apical of the 15% tariff connected EU exports to the U.S., and the 10% levied connected U.K. exports -- would beryllium damaging, however.

"Among allies, issues are champion resolved done discussion, not done pressure," he said connected X.

"European countries basal united. We stress the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty. We enactment Denmark and Greenland. Dialogue with the United States continues. Tariffs would undermine the transatlantic narration and hazard a unsafe downward spiral."

'A moderately important economical problem'

Trump's demands present endanger the EU-U.S. trade agreement struck successful August.

Manfred Weber, a elder subordinate of the European Parliament (MEP), said the EU commercialized woody with the U.S. is "not imaginable astatine this stage."

Holger Schmieding, main economist astatine Berenberg Bank said: "Trump wants to unit Denmark and its European backers to merchantability Greenland to the U.S. by imposing tariffs. For Europe, this is simply a atrocious geopolitical headache and a moderately important economical problem."

He estimated that an further 10% levy connected goods from affected countries could rise U.S. user prices by up to 0.15%. But "in the improbable case" that the EU-U.S. commercialized woody is not implemented, "the harm to US consumers could past beryllium astir 3 times arsenic atrocious successful the end," Schmieding told CNBC successful a note.

Denmark and its European neighbors person made repeated efforts to dissuade Trump from looking to get Greenland, peculiarly aft the president said earlier this period that helium would see each options to get the mineral-rich island, including utilizing subject force.

Trump says acquiring Greenland is captious for U.S. nationalist security. He has besides said that U.S. ownership would forestall Russia and China from gaining a foothold successful the territory. Beijing and Moscow person lambasted Trump's claims and his coveting of Greenland, calling them a "pretext ...for selfish gains" and "extraordinary."

Greenland itself has repeatedly rejected Trump's advances and portion a bulk of its colonisation would similar independency from Denmark, according to sentiment polls, most Greenlanders would not similar to go a portion of the U.S., either.

Protests were held successful Nuuk, the superior of Greenland, connected Saturday, with demonstrators holding placards reiterating the presumption of the island's leadership, and that of Denmark, that "Greenland is not for sale."

— Spriha Srivastava contributed to this report.