US President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 10% tariff on eight European countries has sent shockwaves across the continent, leaving many reeling at the prospect of a "dangerous downward spiral" in relations with America.
The move, aimed at forcing talks over Greenland's status as a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, has sparked outrage among European leaders. The eight countries - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland - will be slapped with the tariff unless they back down on what Trump sees as a critical U.S. national security issue.
"This is commercial blackmail," said Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party in France. "The EU should suspend last year's tariff deal with the US."
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that China and Russia are benefiting from the divisions between Washington and Europe. "If Greenland's security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO," she tweeted. "Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity."
The U.S. decision has also drawn criticism from within Trump's own party in Europe. Britain's main political parties, including the hard-right Reform UK party, have all condemned the tariff threat.
"This will hurt us," said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. "We don't always agree with the US government and in this case we certainly don't."
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an EU-wide response to what he sees as a reckless U.S. move. "The US must understand that these tariffs are not just about trade, but also about the security of our continent," he said.
As tensions rise, thousands of Greenlanders took to the streets outside the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk to protest against American control of the territory. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland for Arctic security training, sparking a row with Washington over its intentions.
The US decision has also raised questions about how Trump plans to implement the tariffs, given that the EU is a single economic zone and it's unclear whether Norway and the UK will be affected. The move may also undermine U.S. credibility in Europe, where NATO allies are being drawn into a dispute with Washington over a territory that some see as too insignificant to justify military action.
The backlash against Trump's decision has been swift, with many Americans opposing the idea of buying or taking Greenland by force. A CBS News poll found that 70% would oppose using federal funds to buy the territory and 86% said they would oppose seizing it militarily.
For Trump, the move may be a reminder that his populist allies in Europe are not as supportive of his policies as he had hoped. Italy's right-wing Premier Giorgia Meloni, considered one of Trump's closest allies on the continent, called the tariff threat "a mistake."
The move, aimed at forcing talks over Greenland's status as a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, has sparked outrage among European leaders. The eight countries - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland - will be slapped with the tariff unless they back down on what Trump sees as a critical U.S. national security issue.
"This is commercial blackmail," said Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party in France. "The EU should suspend last year's tariff deal with the US."
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that China and Russia are benefiting from the divisions between Washington and Europe. "If Greenland's security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO," she tweeted. "Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity."
The U.S. decision has also drawn criticism from within Trump's own party in Europe. Britain's main political parties, including the hard-right Reform UK party, have all condemned the tariff threat.
"This will hurt us," said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. "We don't always agree with the US government and in this case we certainly don't."
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has called for an EU-wide response to what he sees as a reckless U.S. move. "The US must understand that these tariffs are not just about trade, but also about the security of our continent," he said.
As tensions rise, thousands of Greenlanders took to the streets outside the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk to protest against American control of the territory. Several European countries have sent troops to Greenland for Arctic security training, sparking a row with Washington over its intentions.
The US decision has also raised questions about how Trump plans to implement the tariffs, given that the EU is a single economic zone and it's unclear whether Norway and the UK will be affected. The move may also undermine U.S. credibility in Europe, where NATO allies are being drawn into a dispute with Washington over a territory that some see as too insignificant to justify military action.
The backlash against Trump's decision has been swift, with many Americans opposing the idea of buying or taking Greenland by force. A CBS News poll found that 70% would oppose using federal funds to buy the territory and 86% said they would oppose seizing it militarily.
For Trump, the move may be a reminder that his populist allies in Europe are not as supportive of his policies as he had hoped. Italy's right-wing Premier Giorgia Meloni, considered one of Trump's closest allies on the continent, called the tariff threat "a mistake."
I don't buy this tariff thingy. It sounds like just another excuse to stir up drama between America and Europe. What's really going on here is that Trump wants to assert his dominance and show off his tough guy credentials. Newsflash: it's not going to work.
i dont think trump has any idea how this would affect america in the long run... those tariffs are going to hurt us more than they'll help him, mark my words 
oh man, 10% tariff on all these European countries? That's like asking your in-laws to move out and still expecting them to pay for dinner 
. I mean, what's next? 
Donald Trump is trying to collect a debt he owes the world... or at least Europe 
. And France is all "suspense" and "security of our continent"... 
sounds like a bad rom-com 
. Anyway, this Greenland thing is getting ridiculous - can't we just let the Inuit people decide their own fate? 
the eu needs to stand up for itself and not let trump bully them around 
france and germany should team up and show trump who's boss 
meanwhile, greenlanders are all like "no thanks" to american control of their territory 
. newsflash: tariffs are not the answer to everything. eu should just say no and let china and russia have their fun 
. meanwhile, americans are waking up to the fact that trump's trade war might just be about control 
. and what's with all these countries sending troops to greenland? it's like they're trying to one-up each other in a game of arctic security 
i mean i get why france and germany are mad but 10% tariff? that's not even a good negotiating tactic 
i mean, china & russia are probs laughing at us rn 
the EU should just ignore trump's bluff & focus on their own stuff 
and btw did he even think about how this would affect china & russia? like, they'd be all "oh look, europe is too weak for us" 
anyway gotta wonder if the eu will actually take some action or just sit back and watch as trump screws them over 
, imposing tariffs on whole Europe just to get what he wants from Denmark is like holding a gun to everyone's head! 
and EU will never back down. China and Russia are already laughing all the way to the bank as they watch US and EU fall out over something so trivial. And what's with this Greenland thing, it's just a tiny island 
The US needs to get its act together and stop playing games with other countries' economies...
". I mean, who needs tariffs anyway? And all this fuss over Greenland? It's like Trump's trying to distract us from the real issues. I'm reminded of when Reagan was president and he used to do the same thing – all bluster and no substance 
. And what's with Trump's allies in Europe being super critical of his plan? It's like they're speaking truth to power or something 
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. America needs to be more serious about trade agreements instead of just making empty threats 
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this is just commercial blackmail plain and simple. trump needs to get his facts straight or take a seat 
.
I get it, Trump's trying to sound tough but come on... this is just gonna make things worse. 
I know some Europeans are mad at Trump, but shouldn't they be working together with him instead of piling on? 
I mean, I know Trump loves tweeting about his accomplishments, but can't he just keep his mouth shut for once? 
It's like Trump thinks he can strong-arm Europe into doing what he wants. Newsflash, Donald: we're not your playthings anymore 
. The EU is already dealing with enough challenges from China and Russia without Trump adding fuel to the fire.
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. We need more countries standing up to Trump's antics before it's too late 
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... not that we don't love a good Brexit drama, but this whole thing just feels like trump's ego getting in the way of actual progress