NEW YORK, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States will impose 10-percent tariffs on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland starting on Feb. 1, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday.
Those tariffs would increase to 25 percent on June 1, and would continue until a deal is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he said on social media.
Trump's statement came after several NATO members, including Britain, France and Germany, that oppose the U.S. attempt to acquire Greenland, sent troops and diplomatic assets this week to the Arctic territory.
Trump claimed that his country needs to take control of Greenland to protect U.S. national security.
"These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable," Trump wrote in a post. "Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question."
He also said that the United States "is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades."
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland and has recently intensified his rhetoric.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Copenhagen on Saturday to protest against U.S. actions and remarks suggesting control over Greenland, with demonstrators chanting slogans such as "Greenland is not for sale."
