China, Russia ‘Must Be Having a Field Day’ After Trump’s Greenland Tariff Threat: EU’s Kallas

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has sharply criticised US President Donald Trump over his plan to impose new tariffs on several European countries, warning that such moves risk undermining unity among Western allies and playing into the hands of geopolitical rivals.

“China and Russia must be having a field day,” Kallas wrote on X on Saturday, reacting to Trump’s announcement that Washington would levy tariffs on goods from eight European countries over what he described as “national security” concerns linked to Greenland.

Kallas said that if Greenland’s security is genuinely at risk, the issue should be addressed within NATO, rather than through economic coercion. She cautioned that tariffs would ultimately make both Europe and the United States poorer and “undermine our shared prosperity.”

“We also cannot let our dispute distract us from our core task of helping to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” she added, stressing the need for continued transatlantic focus on the conflict.

Her remarks were echoed by Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. In a joint response, they warned that new tariffs would damage transatlantic relations and could trigger “a dangerous downward spiral” in economic ties.

Trump said the new tariffs would take effect from February 1, with rates set to rise sharply by June, citing Greenland-related security concerns. The move has heightened tensions between Washington and its European allies at a time when cooperation is seen as critical to counter Russia’s war in Ukraine and broader global instability.