The president of the United States, Donald Trump, once again marked his strategic position on Greenland by stating that the time has come to eliminate the "Russian threat" in that territory. The head of state held Denmark directly responsible for not having acted in two decades and stressed that the United States will take the initiative. "For 20 years, NATO has told Denmark that it must eliminate the Russian threat from Greenland. Unfortunately, Denmark has not been able to do it. The time has come, and it will be done", he declared on Truth Social.
The statement reactivated the geopolitical debate around the Arctic, a key point for Atlantic security and for the strategic competition with Russia and China. Trump insisted that the only way to prevent a possible foreign occupation is for the United States to control the island, and he assured that this objective will be achieved "by fair means or foul."
Tariffs as a tool of pressure
As part of his strategy, Trump announced a 10% tariff starting February 1 for products from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark, all NATO members with military deployment in Greenland. The head of state warned that if European governments do not support the U.S. position, the tariff could rise to 25% in June.
The measure caused immediate alarm in Brussels. The president of the European Council, António Costa, confirmed that he will call the member states to an extraordinary meeting to coordinate a joint response to Washington's decision.
