Europe Vows Coordinated Action Against US Tariffs Targeting Greenland Allies

The transatlantic rift over Greenland deepened on Sunday as European countries mounted a rare, united response to tariff threats issued by US President Donald Trump.

In an unprecedented show of solidarity, eight countries directly targeted by the proposed tariffs—Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom—released a joint statement expressing ‘full solidarity’ with Denmark and Greenland.

The countries warned that the US move risked triggering a ‘dangerous downward spiral’ in transatlantic relations and pledged a ‘united and coordinated’ response to defend sovereignty.

European Council President Antonio Costa said the European Union is ‘ready to defend itself against any form of coercion’.

National leaders echoed the stance: Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel branded the proposed tariffs as ‘blackmail’, German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil declared that ‘a line has been crossed’, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen asserted that ‘Europe will not be blackmailed’, stressing that the issue extends far beyond Denmark’s borders.

Momentum to respond has grown within EU institutions.

Valerie Hayer, President of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, also urged leaders to activate the EU’s never-used Anti-Coercion Instrument, allowing swift retaliation through tariffs, market restrictions and financial measures.

With the US exporting over $500 billion worth of goods annually to the EU, European leaders warned Washington against underestimating the bloc’s economic leverage.

Support for Denmark has extended beyond the directly targeted states, with leaders from Italy, Ireland and Croatia also criticising the US move.

The unified European response signals a readiness to risk a broader trade confrontation if Washington proceeds with tariffs linked to Greenland’s sovereignty, marking one of the firmest collective EU stances against US economic pressure in recent years.

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