President Trump said Saturday he would impose 10 percent tariffs on countries that have sent military forces to Greenland as part of his efforts to annex the Arctic island.
Mr. Trump said in a Truth Social article that the tariffs will be imposed on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland and will take effect on February 1, 2026. They will be increased to 25% on June 1, Mr. Trump wrote, and will remain in effect “until an agreement is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.”
“These countries, playing this very dangerous game, have brought into play a level of risk that is neither tenable nor sustainable,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect global peace and security, strong measures are taken to bring this potentially perilous situation to an end quickly and beyond doubt.”
All eight countries are members of NATO. CBS News senior foreign correspondent Liz Palmer described the Danish soldiers as a “symbolic force” and said the military presence “is a signal to Washington that while Trump is concerned about security in the Arctic, his NATO allies are willing to do their part to help keep it safe.” On Truth Social, Mr. Trump accused the countries of “traveling to Greenland, for an unknown purpose.”
Mr Trump said he believed the United States should acquire the island to national security reasons. He said the island is vital for Golden Dome missile defense system he intends to build and has expressed concerns regarding Russia or China acquire Greenland. The sparsely populated island is home to the northernmost U.S. military base and has reserves of oil, natural gas and minerals. Its northern position also means that it is close valuable sea routes this could become even more useful as warm temperatures melt sea ice in the region.
The leaders of the semi-autonomous Danish territory have repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale and that Greenland residents have protested against a possible acquisition.
Mr. Trump’s message came as a Bipartisan delegation from the US Congress tried to reassure Greenlandic and Danish leaders during a visit to the Arctic island. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said Greenland should be seen as an ally of the United States, “not an asset.”
On Friday, Mr. Trump said he taking into account the prices on the countries which “did not accept” his plan to acquire Greenland, without giving details.
Greenlandic and Danish leaders met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance at the White House Wednesday to discuss long-term security in Greenland. Denmark and the United States still have “fundamental” disagreements over the future of Greenland, the Danish foreign minister said in the afternoon, but discussions are expected to continue.
The White House has not ruled out using military force to take the island, despite warnings from Denmark that it would be seen as a threat to the NATO alliance.
Source | domain www.cbsnews.com
