EU Scrambles to Avert Trump’s Greenland Tariffs, Prepares Retaliation

The European Union has moved swiftly to prevent a potential trade confrontation with the United States after Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on several European countries unless Washington is allowed to buy Greenland, diplomats said on Sunday.

According to EU diplomatic sources, ambassadors from member states reached broad agreement to step up engagement with Washington in a bid to dissuade the US president from following through on his tariff threat. At the same time, the bloc has begun preparing retaliatory measures should the proposed duties come into force.

Trump said on Saturday that the United States would roll out a wave of escalating tariffs from February 1 targeting Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, as well as Britain and Norway. He framed the move as leverage to force acceptance of US control over Greenland.

Major European capitals reacted sharply, describing the threat as economic coercion and political blackmail. EU officials stressed that Greenland’s status is a matter of sovereignty and international law, and not subject to trade pressure.

Behind closed doors in Brussels, diplomats said the EU’s immediate priority is de-escalation through dialogue, with a focus on preserving transatlantic unity at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. However, they also acknowledged that contingency planning is under way, including the identification of US goods that could face counter-tariffs if Washington proceeds.

Senior EU officials warned that a tariff war would damage both sides economically and undermine cooperation within NATO and other international forums. They reiterated that disputes over Arctic security and Greenland should be addressed through diplomatic and multilateral channels, not trade punishment.

While no final decision on retaliation has been announced, diplomats said the EU wants to be fully prepared, signalling that the bloc will respond firmly if talks fail to halt what many see as an unprecedented and provocative use of tariffs to pursue territorial ambitions.