Brussels fears ‘dangerous downward spiral’ after Trump’s Greenland move

Top EU officials have accused the US president of undermining transatlantic unity with a tariff threat against European NATO states

Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states are set to convene for an emergency meeting on Sunday, after President Donald Trump announced a wave of increasing tariffs on eight European NATO states that oppose a “complete and total purchase” of Greenland by the US.

The emergency talks follow a forceful declaration of solidarity with Denmark by the bloc’s top leadership, which warned that Trump’s tariffs “would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”

In identical statements posted on social media, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen rejected any questioning of Danish sovereignty over Greenland.

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“Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law,” they stated. “The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”

The tariffs, announced by Trump on Saturday, target Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, which recently sent small military contingents to Greenland. EU leaders emphasized that the Danish-led exercise was pre-coordinated and “poses no threat to anyone.”

“We have consistently underlined our shared transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, including through NATO,” they said. 

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The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, added that “if Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO.” She ardued that “China and Russia must be having a field day,” arguing that they benefit from divisions within NATO. The bloc's Secretary General Mark Rutte has so far declined to comment on the growing dispute. 

In recent weeks, Trump has renewed and intensified efforts to bring Greenland under US control, a goal he has pursued since his first term. He claims the acquisition is vital for US national security to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic – an assertion both Beijing and Moscow have rejected.