Italian PM calls threatened U.S. tariffs over Greenland a ‘mistake’

Italy’s Prime Minister referred to as U.S. President Donald Trump’s risk to slap tariffs on opponents of his plan to grab Greenland a “mistake” on Sunday (January 18, 2026), including she had advised him her views.

“I consider that imposing new sanctions at present could be a mistake,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni advised journalists throughout a visit to Seoul.

“I spoke to Donald Trump a couple of hours in the past and advised him what I feel, and I spoke to the NATO secretary basic, who confirmed that NATO is starting to work on this situation.”

Nevertheless, the far-right Prime Minister — a Trump ally in Europe — sought to downplay the battle, telling journalists “there was an issue of understanding and communication” between Europe and the USA associated to the Arctic island, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

Mr. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of as much as 25% on all items despatched to the USA from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland over their objections to his strikes.

Ms. Meloni stated it was as much as NATO to take an lively function within the rising disaster.

“NATO is the place the place we should attempt to organise collectively deterrents in opposition to interference which may be hostile in a territory that’s clearly strategic, and I consider that the truth that NATO has begun to work on it is a good initiative,” she advised reporters.

Ms. Meloni stated that “from the American standpoint, the message that had come from this facet of the Atlantic was not clear”.

“It appears to me that the danger is that the initiatives of some European international locations have been interpreted as anti-American, which was clearly not the intention.”

Ms. Meloni didn’t specify to what precisely she was referring.

Mr. Trump claims the USA wants Greenland for its nationwide safety.