TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that do not support the United States' claim to control Greenland. As reported by Al Jazeera, Trump delivered this message as a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation sought to ease tensions in the Danish capital.
At a White House event on rural healthcare, he recounted on Friday how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on drugs.
"I may do that for Greenland, too," Trump said. "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," he said.
Trump stated that Greenland is important for U.S. security because of its strategic location and abundant mineral supplies, and did not rule out the use of force to acquire it. However, he had not previously mentioned using tariffs to force the issue.
Later, Trump reiterated his reasons for wanting to control Greenland and said he was in discussions with NATO about the island.
"We need Greenland for national security very badly. If we don’t have it, we have a big hole in national security, especially when it comes to what we’re doing in terms of the Golden Dome," he told reporters.
Since Trump returned to the White House in January, he has emphasized that the U.S. must control Greenland, a territory of the NATO ally Denmark. He said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in U.S. hands would be "unacceptable".
The Head of the Joint Arctic Command Denmark in Greenland said on Friday that he was focused on countering Russian activities, not defending against U.S. military threats.
"My focus is not toward the US, not at all. My focus is on Russia," said Major General Soren Andersen aboard a Danish warship in Nuuk, Greenland's capital.
Andersen dismissed the idea of a conflict between NATO allies, describing such a scenario as "hypothetical." "I don’t see a NATO ally attacking another NATO ally," he said.
Referring to Denmark's defense plans, he added, "We work on those, but it’s a normal thing for us to do. My task is to work up here for the defence of the kingdom together with NATO."
In response to U.S. concerns, European countries sent military personnel to Greenland this week as preparations for the NATO Arctic Endurance military exercises.
The Arctic Command has invited the U.S. to take part in Arctic Endurance, which will test military capabilities in winter conditions this year.
"We had a meeting today with a lot of NATO partners, including the US, and invited them to participate in this exercise," Andersen said, adding that he did not yet know if the U.S. would join.
Denmark did not invite America to a similar exercise in September.
The Joint Arctic Command Denmark, responsible for defense in Greenland and the Faroe Islands, conducts surveillance and search and rescue using patrol vessels, aircraft, and satellite technology. The command also deploys the Sirius sled dog patrol for long-range Arctic operations.
Andersen said no Russian or Chinese vessels are currently near Greenland, though a Russian research vessel was 310 nautical miles away. "That's the closest one," he said, adding that NATO maintains "a good picture of the situation up here."
"We actually expect an increase in Russian activities in the coming years, and … we have to start training and increase the presence here in the Arctic to protect NATO’s northern border," Andersen said.
Diverging Views
Earlier this week, Denmark's foreign minister and Greenland's leaders met with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
The meeting did not resolve major differences but resulted in an agreement to form a working group—the purpose of which later sparked public friction between Denmark and the White House.
European leaders insist only Denmark and Greenland can decide the territory’s future. Denmark confirmed this week it is enhancing its military presence there in cooperation with allies.
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers met with Danish and Greenlandic leaders in Copenhagen Friday, seeking to "ease tensions" by assuring them Congress views Greenland as an ally, not property.
Seeking a Deal
Trump's special envoy for Greenland also said on Friday that he plans to visit the Danish territory in March and believes a deal is possible.
"I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out," Jeff Landry told Fox News in an interview.
"The president is serious. I think he’s laid the markers down. He’s told Denmark what he’s looking for, and now it’s a matter of having Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio and Vice President JD Vance make a deal."
Alan Fisher of Al Jazeera reported that Landry's upcoming trip would reveal more than Trump's comments on tariffs and NATO.
"There may well be discussions going on. It doesn’t move the situation forward at this point. But it gives the idea of doing something, of being dynamic," Fisher said.
Landry “will get a warm reception as a representative of the United States, a close ally of Denmark,” he added. “But if he pushes the idea that he wants the United States to take over Greenland, he will be met with what was described by the Danish Foreign Minister during his meeting with the Vice President as a ‘red line.'”
Read: Scholar: Trump's Greenland Ambition Is Dangerous for Global Order
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