US delegation seeks to decrease US-Denmark-Greenland tensions amid Trump’s threats of tariffs and management claims.
Printed On 16 Jan 2026
US President Donald Trump says he might impose tariffs on international locations that don’t again the US’s declare to regulate Greenland, a message that got here as a bipartisan Congressional delegation sought to decrease tensions within the Danish capital.
Since Trump returned to the White Home in January, he has repeatedly insisted that the US management Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and stated earlier this week that something lower than the Arctic island being in US arms can be “unacceptable.”
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Throughout an unrelated occasion on the White Home about rural well being care, he recounted on Friday how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on prescribed drugs.
“I could do this for Greenland too,” Trump stated. “I could put a tariff on international locations in the event that they don’t go together with Greenland, as a result of we’d like Greenland for nationwide safety. So I could do this,” he stated.
Trump has stated Greenland is significant to US safety due to its strategic location and huge provide of minerals, and has not dominated out using pressure to take it.
He had not beforehand talked about utilizing tariffs to attempt to pressure the problem.
Earlier this week, the overseas ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington this week with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
That encounter didn’t resolve the massive variations, however did produce an settlement to arrange a working group — on whose goal Denmark and the White Home then provided sharply diverging public views.
European leaders have insisted that solely Denmark and Greenland can determine issues in regards to the territory, and Denmark stated this week that it was rising its navy presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies.
A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers met the leaders of Denmark and Greenland in Copenhagen on Friday, in search of to “decrease the temperature” with assurances of congressional assist after President Donald Trump’s threats to grab the Arctic island.
European nations this week despatched small numbers of navy personnel to the island at Denmark’s request.
The 11-member US delegation, led by Democratic Senator Chris Coons, met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in addition to Danish and Greenlandic parliamentarians.
“There’s a variety of rhetoric, however there’s not a lot of actuality within the present dialogue in Washington,” Coons advised reporters following the conferences, saying the lawmakers would search to “decrease the temperature” on returning house.
In search of a deal
Trump’s particular envoy to Greenland additionally stated on Friday he plans to go to the Danish territory in March and believes a deal will be made.
“I do consider that there’s a deal that ought to and can be made as soon as this performs out,” Jeff Landry advised Fox Information in an interview on Friday as a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers was set to fulfill leaders of Greenland and Denmark.
“The president is critical. I feel he’s laid the markers down. He’s advised Denmark what he’s on the lookout for, and now it’s a matter of getting Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio and Vice President JD Vance make a deal.”
