Trump demands Greenland sale, threatens tariffs; Europe weighs trade retaliation

In a Truth Social post on Saturday night, President Trump demanded a deal to buy Greenland and threatened tariffs on a group of European nations if a sale did not occur, saying he would impose 10 percent in February and 25 percent in June. European leaders have repeatedly said Greenland is not for sale and have argued that the island's fate should be decided by its people and by Denmark.

Officials and analysts noted that Europe’s dependence on the United States for NATO security limits its options; many argue the bloc may have to retaliate on trade, possibly using an "anti-coercion instrument," unofficially called a trade "bazooka," which could target large American technology companies or other service providers doing business in Europe.

"We either fight a trade war, or we’re in a real war," said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard of Bruegel. Within hours of the post, members of the European Parliament announced they would freeze ratification of the trade deal Mr. Trump and Ursula von der Leyen struck last summer, and ambassadors from across the 27-nation bloc planned an emergency meeting in Brussels, diplomats said.

Ms.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Greenland, Denmark, European Union, Nato