Trump Signals Tariff War To Force Greenland Takeover

President Trump on Friday cranked up the pressure on Denmark, threatening to use tariffs to force international support for the United States acquiring Greenland after Danish officials again insisted the island is not for sale.

“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that,” Trump said at the White House.

Trump, who has made tariffs a central tool of his foreign policy, raised the possibility while touting his success using trade leverage to force tougher negotiations with allies and adversaries alike. He did not spell out which countries could be hit or how the duties would be imposed.

The warning marked Trump’s most aggressive move yet to secure Greenland, which he has framed as a critical national security asset amid rising threats from China and Russia. The White House has also declined to rule out military options if diplomatic efforts fail.

European leaders quickly signaled resistance. French President Emmanuel Macron sent troops to Greenland this week under “Operation Arctic Endurance” to reinforce Denmark’s claim. Germany, France, Sweden and Norway have also announced deployments, even as the U.S. already operates a major military base on the island.

WATCH: “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So, I may do that,” President Donald Trump says.

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Denmark’s foreign minister and Greenland’s foreign minister met Wednesday in Washington with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio but acknowledged afterward that the talks changed nothing.

“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering Greenland,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen said.

Rubio has told lawmakers that Donald Trump prefers buying the island, and U.S. officials have reportedly discussed financial incentives of up to $100,000 per resident to win over Greenland’s roughly 57,000 people.

Trump has been unapologetic about the stakes. On Jan. 9, he said the U.S. would acquire Greenland “whether they like it or not,” warning that failure to act would leave the island open to Chinese or Russian influence.

The president said the transfer would happen “the easy way” or “the hard way.”

“Countries have to have ownership. And you defend ownership, you don’t defend leases, and we’ll have to defend Greenland,” Trump said.

If completed, the move would be the largest territorial expansion in U.S. history, surpassing both the Louisiana Purchase and the Alaska deal.

Danish and Greenlandic officials continue to reject Trump’s push. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made the island’s position clear this week during a visit to Copenhagen.

“If Greenland is forced to choose,” Nielsen said, “we choose Denmark.”

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