Trump Threatens Tariffs On Countries Opposing Greenland Grab

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What to Know

01 Trump warned he may hike tariffs on countries that don’t support his push to take control of Greenland.

02 Allies, including Denmark and Canada, strongly object.

03 NATO nations have signaled an attack on Greenland would fracture the alliance.

President Trump Friday threatened to slap higher tariffs on imports from countries that oppose his push to take over Greenland.

Speaking at an event that was supposed to be focused on rural health care, Trump said he wouldn’t tolerate allies or rivals seeking to block his effort to control the Arctic island, which is a semi-autonomous overseas territory of NATO ally Denmark.

“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland,” he said, without providing any details. “We need Greenland for national security.”

Trump had not previously mentioned using tariffs to try to leverage support for his proposed Greenland seizure. He has not ruled out using force to seize the vast mineral-rich island, which sits at the maritime approach to North America.

The Supreme Court is considering a suit challenging the legality of Trump’s tariffs, which are supposed to address an “economic emergency” of high trade deficits, not geopolitical disputes like Greenland.

The new threat came as a bipartisan congressional delegation arrived in Denmark for talks with Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Several Republicans have joined virtually all Democratic lawmakers in opposing Trump’s Greenland move.

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada Friday also slammed the idea of the U.S. buying or invading Greenland, saying the island’s 57,000 people have the right to determine their own future.

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland held chilly talks in Washington this week with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but failed to bridge their wide gap on the issue.

They did agree to set up a high-level working group to keep communication open with the U.S.

Several NATO allies, including France, Germany and Sweden have sent contingents of troops to Greenland along with Denmark.

The Europeans have warned a U.S. attack on Greenland would result in the collapse of the NATO alliance, which is designed to provide mutual protection for the member states.

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Dave Goldiner; New York Daily News; (TNS)