Trump threatens tariff on ‘countries that don’t go along with Greenland’
Speaking at the White House event, Donald Trump just threatened to impose tariffs on countries that don’t support his plan to control Greenland.
Referring to the tariffs he slapped on pharmaceutical imports from the EU as part of his efforts to lower drug prices in the US, Trump added:
I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.
Key events
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The day so far
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Trump threatens tariff on ‘countries that don’t go along with Greenland’
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‘Are there real, pressing threats to security of Greenland from China and Russia? No, not today,’ US senator says as he hopes for ‘lowering temperature’ of talks about territory
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Greenland needs to be viewed as ally, not asset, Republican US senator Murkowski says
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Anger in Iceland over incoming US ambassador’s ‘52nd state’ joke
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Meloni wants Nato to develop ‘coordinated presence’ in Arctic to prevent ‘interference’
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‘Deal should and will be made’ on Greenland, US envoy says, as he plans to visit in March
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Ukraine’s security guarantees, prosperity deal with US could be signed in Davos, Zelenskyy says
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Italian defence minister dismisses calls to put European troops in Greenland
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Trump’s Greenland comments act as distraction from his woes in US, senator says
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Trump watches US polls and Americans oppose use of force in Greenland, senator says
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Trump’s rhetoric on Greenland does ‘real damage’ to alliances, US national security and benefits Russia’s Putin, US senator says
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‘Millions of Americans deeply concerned’ about Trump’s rhetoric on Greenland, senior Democrat senator says
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France warns any US Greenland move could endanger trade relationship with EU
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Russia says Greenland is Danish as it laments ‘extraordinary’ clash over territory
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Bulgaria faces snap election after leading parties refuse mandate to form government
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Lithuania blames Russian military intelligence for 2024 attempted arson attack
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Morning opening: Greenland working group off to rocky start
The day so far
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Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that don’t support his plan to control Greenland. Speaking at a White House event about the tariffs he slapped on pharmaceutical imports from the EU as part of his efforts to lower drug prices in the US, Trump added: “I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.”
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It came as Trump’s special envoy to Greenland said a deal for Washington to take over the island “should and will be made”. Jeff Landry added that he planned to visit Greenland in March and that the US president “is serious” about acquiring the largely autonomous territory, which is part of the Danish kingdom.
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Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of 11 members of the US House and Senate – including Republican senators Thom Tillis and Lisa Murkowski and Democratic senator Chris Coons – travelled to Copenhagen to meet the leaders of Denmark and Greenland, Mette Frederiksen and Jens-Frederik Nielsen, in a show of solidarity against Trump’s threats of military intervention. Murkowski told a press conference the purpose of the visit was to send a clear message from the Congress that “Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset.”
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Thousands of people have signed a petition expressing anger after Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland reportedly joked that the Nordic country should become the 52nd US state. “We heard that former Rep Billy Long, Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland, joked to members on the floor last night that Iceland will be the 52nd state and he’ll be governor,” Politico wrote in its morning newsletter. In a statement to the Guardian, Iceland’s foreign ministry said it had contacted the US embassy for clarification. “The ministry for foreign affairs contacted the US embassy in Iceland to verify the veracity of the alleged comments,” it said.
Trump threatens tariff on ‘countries that don’t go along with Greenland’
Speaking at the White House event, Donald Trump just threatened to impose tariffs on countries that don’t support his plan to control Greenland.
Referring to the tariffs he slapped on pharmaceutical imports from the EU as part of his efforts to lower drug prices in the US, Trump added:
I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.
Donald Trump is hosting a roundtable discussion on rural healthcare at the White House, due to begin shortly. He often takes questions from media at these events and Greenland may well come up. I’ll bring you the latest here.
That’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, but Lucy Campbell is here to keep you up to date for the rest of the day.
‘Are there real, pressing threats to security of Greenland from China and Russia? No, not today,’ US senator says as he hopes for ‘lowering temperature’ of talks about territory
Democratic senator Chris Coons says the visit was mostly to listen to Denmark and Greenland’s comments, and relay them back to the US.
He says:
“Are there real, pressing threats to the security of Greenland from China and Russia? No, not today.
Are there real opportunities for us to partner through Nato to contribute to Arctic security? Yes, and if we ask respectfully and plan together, we can achieve that goal.
Are there opportunities to develop sustainably the resources of Greenland, if that’s of interest to American companies? Yes.
And so there’s a lot of rhetoric, but there’s not a lot of reality in the current discussion in Washington. And part of the point of this trip is to have a bipartisan group of members of Congress listen respectfully to our friends, our trusted allies and partners here in Denmark and from Greenland, and to go back to the United States and share those perspectives so that we can lower the temperature and have a more constructive dialogue about the best path forward.”
And that concludes the press conference.
Greenland needs to be viewed as ally, not asset, Republican US senator Murkowski says
Republican senator Murkowski says the purpose of the visit was to send a clear message from the Congress that “Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset.”
She says:
“I think it is important to underscore that when you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority, some 75% will say we do not think that that is a good idea. This senator from Alaska does not think it is a good idea.”
She says the US delegation “heard about the concerns and the fears directly from the people of Greenland,” and on “more broadly what this means, not just to to Denmark to Greenland, but to the Nato alliance.”
Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, a Greenlandic politician in the Danish parliament, highlights “the pressure that people are feeling back home in Greenland,” as she thanks the US delegation for their visit.
Separately, Pipaluk Lynge, a Greenlandic MP, also says that it was important to attend this meeting to have an open dialogue with US lawmakers, similarly stressing Greenland’s position as an ally in Nato.
US Democratic senator Chris Coons opens the press conference as he says the 10-member bipartisan bicameral delegation from the US wanted to highlight the value of the US-Danish alliance, and to “express our gratitude for the sacrifice of Danes, who served and fought and died alongside Americans when we were attacked 25 years ago.”
“We spoke about the value of Nato and the commitment to respecting the core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and self determination, and we spoke with clarity about the importance that the people of Greenland make their decisions about their future.”
Conservative senator Lisa Murkowski joins in with similar words, stressing “a strong and a continuing relationship” between the countries “over decades.”
She talks about “so constructive, important dialogue that is ongoing now and will move forward.”
We are expecting to hear from the US delegation visiting Copenhagen again pretty soon, as they are just wrapping their meeting with parliamentary colleagues from Denmark and Greenland.
I will bring you the key lines from them here.
Anger in Iceland over incoming US ambassador’s ‘52nd state’ joke
Ashifa Kassam
Separately, thousands of people have signed a petition expressing anger after Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland reportedly joked that the Nordic country should become the 52nd US state.
On Wednesday, hours before top officials from Greenland and Denmark were to meet with the US in the hope of warding off Trump’s threats to seize the Arctic island, the news outlet Politico said it had heard of musings regarding another Nordic island.
“We heard that former Rep Billy Long, Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland, joked to members on the floor last night that Iceland will be the 52nd state and he’ll be governor,” Politico wrote in its morning newsletter.
The reaction in Reykjavík was swift. In a statement to the Guardian, Iceland’s foreign ministry said it had contacted the US embassy for clarification. “The ministry for foreign affairs contacted the US embassy in Iceland to verify the veracity of the alleged comments,” it said.
In a petition calling on Iceland’s foreign minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, to reject Long as ambassador to the country, critics said:
“These words, spoken by Billy Long, whom Donald Trump has nominated as ambassador to Iceland, may have been said in jest. Still, they are offensive to Iceland and the Icelandic people, who have had to fight for their freedom and have always been a friend to the United States,” the petition read.
Within hours of its launch, more than 3,200 people had signed the petition, backing the call for the US to “nominate another person who shows greater respect for Iceland and the Icelandic people”.
On Wednesday Long reportedly apologised for the remarks in an interview with Arctic Today, a news website that covers the region. The outlet quoted him as saying the comments had been made in jest as others were joking about Jeff Landry, Trump’s US special envoy to Greenland.
“There was nothing serious about that, I was with some people, who I hadn’t met for three years, and they were kidding about Jeff Landry being governor of Greenland and they started joking about me and if anyone took offence to it, then I apologise,” the publication quoted Long as saying.
Though Long said he could understand why the comments would have set off a reaction, he was adamant they were a joke and should not be taken seriously.
US senators are now arriving for their meeting with Danish and Greenlandic colleagues at the Danish parliament.
Democratic senator Peter Welch says the US delegation is in Denmark “to reassert our appreciation for the role Denmark plays in our national security,” as he calls for “a stronger, not a weaker, Nato.”
“So this is just an expression by a bipartisan group of members of Congress that we appreciate Denmark, we need Denmark, and we support a continuation of our cooperative relationship,” he says.
Meloni wants Nato to develop ‘coordinated presence’ in Arctic to prevent ‘interference’
We have a bit more on that Italian Arctic strategy I mentioned earlier (12:35), with the country’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni urging Nato to develop “a coordinated presence” in the Arctic region to prevent tensions and respond to “interference by other actors.”
Reuters reported that in a letter read during the presentation of an Italian government paper on the Arctic, Meloni said the region was becoming increasingly important due to the development of new sea routes and its huge “energy and mineral resources”.
The Italian policy document pointed to Russia’s renewed focus on the Arctic, which included a buildup of its military presence there. It also flagged China’s attempt to raise its Arctic profile as a self-declared “near-Arctic state,” including growing interest in shipping along the Northern Sea Route and closer ties with Moscow that extend to military matters.
‘Deal should and will be made’ on Greenland, US envoy says, as he plans to visit in March
US special envoy to Greenland Jeff Landry told Fox News that he believed a deal could be reached on the territory, with president Donald Trump “serious” about his plans to control Greenland.
“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” he said.
“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 Rubio and vice-president JD Vance make a deal.”
Landry also said he was planning to visit the Danish semiautonomous territory in March.
Ukraine’s security guarantees, prosperity deal with US could be signed in Davos, Zelenskyy says
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told a news conference in Kyiv that he hoped to sign a deal on the US security guarantees and a prosperity package on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, starting news week.
A Ukrainian delegation is on its way to the US for further talks, he said.
Zelenskyy also added that he hoped to get more clarity from the US on the Russian position on peace talks about ending the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Reuters reported.
