US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that refuse to support his efforts to annex Greenland, escalating tensions with allies over the strategically important Arctic territory.
Speaking at a White House meeting, Trump said he “may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland”, referring to the self-governing island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
He did not identify which countries could face new tariffs, nor did he explain what legal authority he would rely on to impose such measures.
Denmark and Greenland have both rejected the proposal, while opposition has also come from other nations and within the United States. As Trump made his remarks, a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers was in Greenland to signal political support for the territory.
The 11-member group included Republicans who expressed concern over the president’s repeated calls for the US to acquire Greenland on national security grounds. The delegation met Greenlandic MPs, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland’s leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat who led the visit, said the trip aimed to hear directly from local leaders and report back to Washington “to lower the temperature”.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is critical to US security, saying the island could be obtained “the easy way” or “the hard way” — remarks widely interpreted as referring to a purchase or the use of force.
“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security,” Trump said during Friday’s White House meeting on rural healthcare.
Greenland, while sparsely populated, is rich in natural resources, and its location between North America and the Arctic makes it strategically valuable for missile-warning systems and regional surveillance.
The US already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at its Pituffik base, a missile-monitoring facility on Greenland’s north-western coast that has operated since World War Two.
Under existing defence agreements with Denmark, the US is permitted to deploy additional troops to Greenland if required.
However, Trump has argued that the US needs to “own” Greenland to defend it effectively against potential threats from Russia or China.
Danish officials have warned that any military action against Greenland would undermine Nato, the transatlantic defence alliance in which the US is the most influential member.
Nato is based on the principle of collective defence and has never faced a scenario in which one member state uses force against another.
European allies have since rallied behind Denmark, stressing that Arctic security is a shared Nato responsibility rather than one that rests solely with Washington.
Several Nato countries — including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK — have deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland as part of a reconnaissance mission.
French President Emmanuel Macron said “land, air, and sea assets” would be sent.
The congressional visit comes days after senior-level talks in Washington failed to persuade Trump to abandon his plans.
The delegation includes lawmakers from both chambers of Congress who are strong supporters of Nato.
While most of the group are Democrats and vocal critics of Trump, it also includes moderate Republicans Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Greenlandic MP Aaja Chemnitz said the meetings with US lawmakers had left her feeling “hopeful”. She told the BBC: “We need friends. We need allies.”
Addressing the divide between the White House’s position and the stance of Greenland and Denmark, she said: “It’s a marathon, not a short sprint.”
“The pressure from the US side is something that we’ve seen since 2019. It would be naive to think that everything is over now.”
She added: “It’s changing almost hour by hour. So as much support as we can get, the better.”
Murkowski is among the sponsors of a bipartisan bill aimed at blocking any attempt to annex Greenland.
At the same time, a Republican congressman has introduced separate legislation supporting annexation.
Trump’s envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, told Fox News on Friday that the US should engage directly with Greenland’s leaders rather than Denmark.
“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” he said.
“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.
“The United States has always been a welcoming party. We don’t go in there trying to conquer anybody and trying to take over anybody’s country.
“We say, ‘Listen. We represent liberty. We represented economic strength. We represent protection.'”
On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with Vance and Rubio at the White House.
A Danish official, speaking to the BBC on background, said the US vice-president had suggested exploring a “middle ground” that could satisfy Trump while addressing Danish and Greenlandic concerns.
The official said the idea of a US military takeover of Greenland was not raised during the talks.
“We have never been in any discussions with any senior official or minister about the prospects of the United States sending in” troops to Greenland, the official said.
Despite this, Denmark is treating Trump’s comments seriously.
“It is our working hypothesis that on this issue what he says is what he means,” the official added.
