Trump-Greenland latest: US president refuses to say if he would use military force to take Greenland

WorldPolitics
20 Jan 2026 • 5:22 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to seize Greenland on Monday, as European countries scale up their response to US tariff threats.

“No comment,” was the US president’s response when asked by NBC News whether he could send in the military to claim the semi-autonomous Danish territory.

He did, however, say he “will 100 per cent” follow through with his threat to impose tariffs on eight European countries that have opposed a US takeover.

In a reported text message exchange over the weekend, Mr Trump told Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre he doesn’t “feel an obligation to think purely of Peace”, since his country didn’t award him the Nobel Peace Prize.

European countries have rejected the White House's attempts to leverage economic pressure to gain a favourable settlement in Greenland.

Denmark announced it was sending a “substantial contribution” of its Armed Forces to the Arctic. Denmark and Greenland have also discussed the possibility of holding a Nato mission in the Arctic.

Germany and France have also threatened to hit the US with retaliatory tariffs, while the UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, warned against a trade war.

Read More

Starmer tells Trump it is ‘wrong’ to impose tariffs on Nato allies

Starmer must choose between ‘special relationship’ and Europe after Trump’s Greenland tariffs

Greenland embraces the new MAGA hat: ‘Make America Go Away’

Mike Pence joins growing number of Republicans opposing Trump over Greenland

Trump is reportedly turning his attention to Canada and focusing on its ‘vulnerability’

Trump-Greenland latest: Key points

  • Trump gives 'no comment' when asked if he would use military force in Greenland
  • Germany and France 'will not be blackmailed' with US tariff threat, finance ministers say
  • Tariff threats are 'no way to treat allies', says UK foreign secretary
  • Trump links Greenland threat to Nobel Prize snub in bizarre letter to Norway’s prime minister
  • Mapped: Which countries has Trump threatened with tariffs over Greenland?

Almost all the added costs from Trump’s tariffs are being pushed on Americans, study finds

21:07 , Graig Graziosi

The people paying for "nearly all" of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs are American consumers, according to a new report from a German analyst group.

A report, released on Monday by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, determined that "foreign exporters did not meaningfully reduce their prices in response to US tariff increases”.

"The $200 billion surge in customs revenue represents $200 billion extracted from American businesses and households”, the report said.

The study determined that only approximately 4 per cent of the financial burden created by the tariffs is being paid by foreign operators. The other 96 per cent has effectively become "a consumption tax on Americans”, according to Kiel's researchers.

Read on...

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Trump’s tariffs are being paid for by Americans, study finds

Finnish president says Greenland issues could 'suck out all the oxygen' at global economic meeting

20:47 , Rachel Dobkin

Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has warned that the recent issues surrounding Greenland could “suck out all the oxygen” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“We are doing everything we can to avoid that,” Mr Stubb told reporters in Davos, per Bloomberg.

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Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump threatened a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from eight European countries until a deal is reached for the United States to buy Greenland.

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen pushed back on Mr Trump’s threats, writing in a social media post, “Recent US announcements, including threats of tariffs, don't change along that line. We won't allow ourselves to be pushed. We stand firm on dialogue, on respect and on international law.”

Trump's chances of acquiring Greenland before 2027, according to prediction market

20:29 , Rachel Dobkin

Polymarket, which describes itself as the world’s largest prediction market, has US President Donald Trump’s odds of acquiring Greenland before 2027 at just 20 percent.

While the odds are not in Mr Trump’s favor, according to Polymarket, they are better than they were in December, when they sat below 10 percent.

Mr Trump has bolstered his threats against the Arctic island, which is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Over the weekend, Mr Trump threatened a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from eight European countries until a deal is reached for the United States to buy Greenland.

The 'nuclear option': What are 'anti-coercion' instruments EU may use against Trump

20:15 , Alex Croft

France said on Monday that the European Union must be prepared to use wide-ranging "anti-coercion" measures targeting US services if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose more tariffs on his Nato allies over Greenland.

EU governments are drawing up retaliatory measures, including possibly hitting the US with €93 billion worth of tariffs or the so far unused "Anti-Coercion Instrument", which permits investment restrictions and curbs the export of services such as those provided by US digital giants.

The ACI, which was finally approved in 2023, is seen by many as a "nuclear option" that is ideally meant as a deterrent.

The ACI allows the 27-nation EU to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on its member countries to force a policy shift, and offers far wider scope for action than just counter-tariffs on US exports.

The ACI has a 10-point list of possible measures on goods and services. The EU is supposed to select measures that are likely to be most effective to stop the coercive behaviour of a third country and potentially to repair injury.

The ACI was proposed in 2021 as a response to criticism within the bloc that the first Trump administration and China had used trade as a political tool.

European law gives the European Commission up to four months to examine possible cases of coercion. If it finds a foreign country's measures constitute coercion, it puts this to EU members, which have another eight to 10 weeks to confirm the finding.

Confirmation requires a qualified majority of EU members - a higher hurdle to clear than that for applying retaliatory tariffs.

The Commission would normally then negotiate with the foreign country in a bid to stop the coercion. If that fails, it can implement ACI measures, again subject to a vote by EU members. These should enter into force within three months.

The whole process could take anywhere from a few months to a year to complete.

Europe would be 'very unwise' to retaliate to US tariffs, warns US official

19:59 , Alex Croft

European governments would be “very unwise” to retaliate to measures taken by the US in their dispute over Greenland, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday.

"I think it would be very unwise," he told reporters when asked about retaliatory trade measures on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

He urged Europe not to doubt Donald Trump's intentions over Greenland.

"I've been travelling, so I haven't been in touch (with European officials), but I spoke to President Trump and evidently there are a lot of inbounds, and I think everyone should take the president at his word," Mr Bessent said.

ICYMI: Starmer says trade wars are 'in no one’s interest' amid US-Greenland tariff threats

19:46 , Alex Croft

Analysis: Questions about the King’s visit to the US could be the key to dealing with Trump

19:33 , Alex Croft

Political editor David Maddox reports:

If there is one card the UK holds in its dealings with Donald Trump, it is the Royal family.

President Trump reveres the Royal family and the trappings of power that go along with them.

Keir Starmer has already deployed Prince William as a crucial go between with the US president. The prince and president speak almost every week, The Independent has been told.

More important still has been the pageantry. One of the ways that Sir Keir was able to get his trade deal, allow Lord Mandelson to be accepted as ambassador a year ago and other diplomatic successes was to use last year’s state visit as a carrot.

Trump made it clear that he did not want anything to interfere with that and was willing to be more amenable to the UK.

Going forward, the plan to send the King on a state visit for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July has been equally important for Trump and what he sees as his legacy.

So as diplomatic tensions mount and the threat of tariffs increases, this visit and whether it goes ahead will be highly significant.

Tariff threats are 'no way to treat allies', says UK foreign secretary

19:17 , Alex Croft

Making tariff threats is “no way to treat allies”, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said.

Making a statement in the Commons, Ms Cooper said: “The use or the threat of tariffs against allies in this way is completely wrong. It is unwarranted and it is counter-productive.

“Third, Arctic security is a shared concern and a shared responsibility for both sides of the Atlantic.”

Arctic security can only be addressed “through a co-operation between transatlantic allies, and crucially, through Nato,” she added.

The Foreign Secretary said Denmark was a “close ally of the UK and the US”, continuing: “Denmark has long been one of the US’s closest allies, a proud Nato member that has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the UK and with the US, including at real human cost, in recent decades.

“Alliances endure because they are built on respect and partnership, not pressure – and tariffs threats like this are no way to treat allies.”

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Watch: UK foreign secretary says threat of tariffs against allies is completely wrong

19:02 , Alex Croft

Finnish president says he does not believe Trump will use force to seize Greenland

18:40 , Alex Croft

Finland's president Alexander Stubb said on Monday he does not believe that the United States will use military force to take control of Greenland.

It echoes comments by British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer earlier today, who said he did not believe Trump’s threats to launch military action in Greenland were genuine.

In full: What Norway’s leader told Trump to warrant furious reaction over Nobel Peace Prize and Greenland

18:28 , Alex Croft

Norway’s government has shared the prime minister’s full exchange with Donald Trump after the US president suggested he was taking a more aggressive foreign policy stance with allies over Greenland after being overlooked for last year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre wrote to Trump on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, referred to as Alex, according to the messages retrieved under the country’s freedom of information act on Monday.

He called on the US leader to de-escalate after threatening allies with tariffs for supporting Denmark amid a growing spat over the ownership of its territory, Greenland.

James Reynolds reports:

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In full: What Norway’s leader told Trump to warrant furious reaction

Nato to continue working with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security

18:11 , Alex Croft

We’ve now heard from Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, who posted on social media after a meeting with the Danish defence minister and the Greenlandic foreign affairs minister.

"We discussed how important the Arctic - including Greenland - is to our collective security and how Denmark is stepping up investments in key capabilities," Mr Rutte said on X.

His comments came amid reports that the military alliance is considering carrying out a mission in the Arctic soon.

"We'll continue to work together as allies on these important issues," Mr Rutte added.

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Denmark and Greenland consider Arctic Nato mission

17:56 , Alex Croft

Denmark and Greenland have discussed the possibility of having a Nato mission in Greenland and the Arctic, Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Monday.

He spoke as Donald Trump intensified his push to wrest sovereignty over Greenland from Denmark, prompting the European Union to consider hitting back with its own measures.

Mr Poulsen made his remarks after a meeting with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and Greenlandic foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt in Brussels.

"We have proposed this. The NATO Secretary General has also taken note of this, and I believe we can now hopefully establish a framework for how this can be achieved," Mr Poulsen added.

Canada considering sending troops to Greenland for Nato exercises

17:39 , Alex Croft

Canada is considering whether to send a small contingent of troops to Greenland to take part in NATO military exercises, a source has told Reuters news agency.

The news was first reported by the CBC News and the Globe and Mail newspapers in Canada.

Military officials have presented plans for the operation to the government and are awaiting a decision from prime minister Mark Carney, said the source.

Mr Carney's office has declined to comment.

Donald Trump's threats to take Greenland pose a challenge for Carney, who is keen to show solidarity with European allies while trying to stay on the right side of Trump, who has in the past threatened to annex Canada.

"We're concerned about this escalation, to be absolutely clear... we always will support sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, wherever their geographic location is," Mr Carney told reporters in Doha on Sunday.

Trump’s tariffs would cause higher prices and less choice on UK supermarket shelves, supply chain expert warns

17:25 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump’s plan to slap 10 per cent tariffs on the UK would leave Britons facing higher prices and less choice on supermarket shelves, a supply chain expert has warned.

Oisín Hanrahan, the co-founder and chief executive of Keychain, which works with major supermarkets to identify high costs in the supply chain, told The Independent that the tariffs “wouldn’t stay confined to trade statistics, it would start showing up in the weekly shop”.

It came amid warnings that the export levy could wipe 0.1 per cent off Britain’s GDP – increasing to as much as 0.3 per cent if the tariff is increased to 25 per cent as Mr Trump has threatened – a hit that could tip the UK’s ailing economy into recession.

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

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Trump’s tariffs ‘could cause higher prices and less choice in UK supermarkets’

EU has no interest in picking a fight but will hold its ground, says top diplomat

17:11 , Alex Croft

Reaction is continuing to pour in as EU countries mull over how to respond to Donald Trump’s tariff threat.

We’re now hearing from the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who said the bloc has “no interest” in picking a dight but that “we will hold our ground”.

In a post on X, Ms Kallas said Arctic security is a “shared transatlantic interest, and one we can discuss with our US”.

But she said that tariff threats are “not the way to go about this”.

Ms Kallas added: "Sovereignty is not for trade. We have no interest to pick a fight, but we will hold our ground. Europe has a slate of tools to protect its interests.”

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Future of Greenland not an EU issue, says Hungary

17:02 , Alex Croft

The future of Greenland is not an issue for the European Union, Hungary has said, adding that it will not support a joint EU statement against Donald Trump, Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto said.

"We regard this as a bilateral issue that can be resolved via talks between the two parties...I don't think it is an EU issue," Mr Szijjarto said.

Hungary’s government, which is highly sceptical of the EU, has allied itself closely to the Trump administration

Denmark has red lines which cannot be crossed, says country's foreign minister

16:46 , Alex Croft

Denmark has red lines which cannot be crossed, foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said on Monday.

He warned that Donald Trump, despite his remarks, cannot threaten his way towards ownership of Greenland.

It is important to show the US president that a trade war is not the way forward, he said, adding that he has no intention of escalating the situation.

Mr Rasmussen added that it is up to the European Union, not Denmark alone, to decide the EU's response to the tariffs.

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Trump gives 'no comment' when asked if he would use military force in Greenland

16:29 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump has declined to say whether he would use force to seize Greenland in an interview with NBC News.

"No comment," Trump told the network in a brief telephone interview when asked if he would use force to seize Greenland.

But when asked whether he will follow through with plans to land the European countries with tariffs, he said: “I will, 100 per cent.”

He said Europe should be focussing on the Russia-Ukraine war rather than Greenland.

Starmer says he doesn’t believe Trump’s threats to launch military action in Greenland are genuine

16:20 , Alex Croft

Europe would be 'very unwise' to retaliate to US tariffs, warns senior US official

15:57 , Alex Croft

European governments would be “very unwise” to retaliate to measures taken by the US in their dispute over Greenland, treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday.

"I think it would be very unwise," he told reporters when asked about retaliatory trade measures on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

He urged Europe not to doubt Donald Trump's intentions over Greenland.

"I've been travelling, so I haven't been in touch (with European officials), but I spoke to President Trump and evidently there are a lot of inbounds, and I think everyone should take the president at his word," Mr Bessent said.

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How will Trump’s tariffs affect the UK economy?

15:46 , Maira Butt

Donald Trump’s 10 per cent tariffs on the UK could have a damaging impact on Britain’s economy and potentially tip it into recession, economists believe.

The US president threatened to increase the tariff to 25 per cent from 1 June, until a deal is reached to buy Greenland from Denmark. It applies to the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland. The countries released a statement underlining their solidarity with Denmark.

Mr Trump has long had his eye on Greenland, first proposing US control over the territory in 2019. In his renewed plan for a takeover, he said it was "time for Denmark to give back", adding: "China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it."

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How will Trump’s tariffs affect the UK economy?

Trump's threats rattle European industry and send shockwaves through financial markets

15:30 , Tara Cobham

Donald Trump's tariff threats have rattled European industry and sent shockwaves through financial markets amid fears of a return to the volatility of last year's trade war, which only eased when the sides reached tariff deals in the middle of the year.

"This latest flashpoint has heightened concerns over a potential unravelling of Nato alliances and the disruption of last year's trade agreements with several European nations," said Tony Sycamore, market analyst with IG based in Sydney.

Oliver Burkhard, the CEO of TKMS, the world's top non-nuclear submarine maker, said shifting transatlantic ties should encourage Europe to focus on its own strengths and find ways to become more independent.

"I believe that there are, of course, nicer ways than nudges like that, but it is probably necessary, to put it in my own words, to get a kick in the shin to realise that we may have to suit up differently in the future," he told Reuters.

Danish armed forces sending 'substantial contribution' to Greenland

15:15 , Maira Butt

Denmark is sending a “substantial contribution” of its Armed Forces to the Arctic amid Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and takeover.

Danish combat soldiers are expected to arrive in Kangerlussuaq in Greenland north of Nuuk on Monday evening, Denmark’s defence ministry told TV2.

Around 200 soldiers accompanied by Army Chief Peter Boyse are expected to arrive on the territory.

Watch: Carney 'concerned' on Trump's tariff threats over Greenland

15:00 , Tara Cobham

The 'nuclear option': What are 'anti-coercion' instruments EU may use against Trump

14:45 , Tara Cobham

France said on Monday that the European Union must be prepared to use wide-ranging "anti-coercion" measures targeting US services if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose more tariffs on his Nato allies over Greenland.

EU governments are drawing up retaliatory measures, including possibly hitting the US with €93 billion worth of tariffs or the so far unused "Anti-Coercion Instrument", which permits investment restrictions and curbs the export of services such as those provided by US digital giants.

The ACI, which was finally approved in 2023, is seen by many as a "nuclear option" that is ideally meant as a deterrent.

The ACI allows the 27-nation EU to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on its member countries to force a policy shift, and offers far wider scope for action than just counter-tariffs on US exports.

The ACI has a 10-point list of possible measures on goods and services. The EU is supposed to select measures that are likely to be most effective to stop the coercive behaviour of a third country and potentially to repair injury.

The ACI was proposed in 2021 as a response to criticism within the bloc that the first Trump administration and China had used trade as a political tool.

European law gives the European Commission up to four months to examine possible cases of coercion. If it finds a foreign country's measures constitute coercion, it puts this to EU members, which have another eight to 10 weeks to confirm the finding.

Confirmation requires a qualified majority of EU members - a higher hurdle to clear than that for applying retaliatory tariffs.

The Commission would normally then negotiate with the foreign country in a bid to stop the coercion. If that fails, it can implement ACI measures, again subject to a vote by EU members. These should enter into force within three months.

The whole process could take anywhere from a few months to a year to complete.

Not right for Trump to use tariffs as economic threat over Greenland, Swinney says

14:30 , Tara Cobham

John Swinney has accused the US President of issuing "economic threats" which are "deeply damaging" after Donald Trump announced tariffs are to be imposed on the UK and other Nato countries as part of a dispute over the future of Greenland.

The Scottish First Minister insisted the threatened tariffs were "the wrong thing to do" claiming they would harm the economy of Scotland and the UK.

He went on to warn the US President's tariffs could also be "very damaging" in a "diplomatic and security sense".

Mr Swinney said: "The announcements made by President Trump over the weekend are deeply damaging and they are the wrong thing to do.

"They have the risk of undermining the economy of Scotland and the United Kingdom because of the scale of the tariffs but they also risk undermining the security and the safety of the Nato alliance because of the steps, and the approach, that have been taken in relation to Greenland.

"So, at an economic level, and at a security level, this approach being taken by President Trump is wrong and should not be pursued."

The First Minister said that "the people of Greenland must be able to decide their own future, that is their right".

Mr Swinney was clear: "It is not appropriate for the United States to use economic threats on others through the application of tariffs to try to get their way in the face of the right of the people of Greenland to decide their own future.

"Economically these tariffs are very damaging but, in a diplomatic and security sense, they are very damaging because they will destabilise the Nato alliance and none of us want to see that happening."

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Comment: Donald Trump’s ambition has met its match in Keir Starmer, diplomatic bollard

14:15 , Tara Cobham

Say what you like about Keir Starmer, but he’s a fine exponent of the British art of the understatement.

The prime minister spoke up on behalf of an unusually united country – even Nigel Farage is just about onside – shocked and appalled by Donald Trump’s threat to invade Greenland, destroy Nato and lay waste to what remains of British industry through punitive tariffs.

For his emergency press conference, the prime minister put on his most serious face (and that is very stern indeed) and declared that the president’s actions had been “badly received”.

Sean O’Grady writes:

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Donald Trump’s ambition has met its match in Keir Starmer, diplomatic bollard

Global stocks drop after Trump's tariff threats

14:00 , Tara Cobham

Global stocks dropped and the dollar eased against the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc on Monday after US president Donald Trump threatened to slap extra tariffs on goods imported from European nations that oppose his planned takeover of Greenland.

Gold and silver prices jumped to new record peaks, while oil dipped on concerns about what a possible trade war between the US and Europe could mean for global growth and demand.

US cash equity markets will be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, although S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures have both dropped over 1 per cent. In Europe, the STOXX 600 index fell 1.3 per cent. Blue-chip indexes in Frankfurt, Paris and London were down 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

Japan's Nikkei fell 0.7 per cent, and MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was little changed.

Trump said he would impose additional 10 per cent levies from 1 February on goods imported from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Britain, rising to 25 per cent on 1 June if no deal on Greenland was reached. Major European Union states condemned the tariff threats as blackmail, and France proposed responding with a range of previously untested economic countermeasures. The EU and Britain had agreed trade deals with the US last year.

"There is obviously a response (in financial markets) to the new tariff threats," said George Lagarias, chief economist at Forvis Mazars.

"It's highly likely that the White House will use the threat of tariffs consistently, even when deals have previously been agreed."

The EU's retaliation options include a package of its own tariffs on €93 billion ($108 billion) of goods imported from the US that was suspended for six months in early August, and measures under an Anti-Coercion Instrument that could hit US services trade or investments. The tariff threats should also make for a fraught few days at Davos as leaders from around the world gather in Switzerland at the World Economic Forum, including a large US group led by Trump.

Analysis: Why Starmer will need to use the King as his Trump card in Greenland row

13:50 , Tara Cobham

The proposed state visit by King Charles III on July 4 in the rose garden at the White House - to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence- has taken on huge significance.

With Donald Trump in the process of imposing new tariffs over Greenland and renewing threats against other allies, there are few levers Sir Keir Starmer can pull to persuade the US president to be more reasonable.

But the royal visit this year is perhaps the only lever which can now be deployed to stop an international crisis from spiralling out of control.

Political editor David Maddox reports:

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Why Starmer will need to use the King as his Trump card in Greenland row

New Trump tariffs would burden chemical and pharma industries, says industry group

13:40 , Tara Cobham

Additional US tariffs would burden the chemical and pharmaceutical industries on both sides of the Atlantic, German industry group VCI said on Monday.

"A tariff spiral would cause high economic costs in both Europe and the US," VCI said in a statement. "US president [Donald] Trump is counting on Europe being divided. Europe's response can therefore only be unity – united, determined and at all levels."

EU emergency summit on Greenland to be held on Thursday

13:30 , Tara Cobham

EU leaders will convene in Brussels on Thursday for an emergency summit following US president Donald Trump's threats to impose new tariffs on several EU countries over his demand to acquire Greenland, a European Union spokesperson said on Monday.

The summit is planned to start at 1800 GMT.

Could the King cancel his visit to the US over Trump’s tariff threats?

13:20 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer dodged answering questions about whether King Charles’ expected state visit to the US in April may be cancelled as tensions rise over president Donald Trump’s tariff threats.

The US president threatened the UK, Denmark and other European countries with 10 per cent tariffs over their opposition to a takeover of Greenland by America. The UK would be charged a 10 per cent tariff on “any and all goods” sent to the US from 1 February, increased to 25 per cent from 1 June, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.

Questions were raised over the weekend about how the UK might respond and if that could include the King pulling out of a state visit floated to take place in April. The King’s trip was meant to be part of a campaign to revitalise a trade agreement with the US after a promised American investment in Britain from tech firms was paused , according to The Times.

Bryony Gooch reports:

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Could the King cancel his visit to the US over Trump’s tariff threats?

What actually are tariffs and who pays them

13:10 , Tara Cobham

Tariffs are a tax on products imported into a country.

They are typically charged as a percentage of the price a buyer pays a foreign seller.

It means a US company buying a product from a UK supplier would now have to pay an additional amount, such as 10 per cent, to the state, on top of the original price.

The companies buying the imported goods pay the tariffs.

In this case, it means US firms will have to pay more for international goods from countries affected.

Donald Trump has used his tariff policies to encourage US firms to buy products manufactured within the country, and therefore avoid the additional tax.

Tariffs are collected by the national customs authority of the country into which the goods are being imported.

In the UK, this means any tariff is paid to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) when goods enter the UK.

In the US, tariffs are collected by Customs and Border Protection agents at ports of entry across the country, such as airports and ports.

Analysis: Trump’s obsession with Greenland is a victory for no one but Putin

13:00 , Tara Cobham

All eyes are on Greenland. And that is exactly what Vladimir Putin wants. Russia’s president must be rubbing his hands and giggling with glee as he watches the president of the United States of America deliver the kind of strategic effect for Russia that a KBG colonel could only dream of.

Donald Trump’s peevish narcissism is Russia’s greatest asset. And while the US president’s myopic view of Greenland dominates geopolitics, it distracts from what is going on thousands of miles away to the east.

Unable to get Ukraine to agree to surrender more than a fifth of its territory to Putin’s army, even after he attempted to hamstring Kyiv’s defence by cutting all military aid, Trump’s power over Ukraine has dwindled.

World affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:

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Trump’s obsession with Greenland is a victory for no one but Putin

Which UK sectors could be worst hit by Trump's tariffs

12:50 , Tara Cobham

The biggest export from the UK to the US is machinery, such a cars, engines and turbines.

Some consumer sectors could also be particularly affected, such as Scotland's whisky industry, which exported almost £1 billion worth of whisky to the US in 2024.

What are US tariffs against UK currently and what is Trump threatening

12:40 , Tara Cobham

There is a significant range of tariff costs depending on products and sectors, and the UK and US governments made a number of agreements last year.

Nevertheless, broadly speaking, the US imposed a 10 per cent tariff on top of all previously existing tariffs and duties.

Last year's 2025 economic prosperity deal secured tariff exemptions for UK steel, aluminium, aerospace and cars, although many of these only cover a certain quota of products.

Mr Trump has now threatened to charge the UK a 10 per cent tariff "on any and all goods" sent to the US from 1 February.

This would then increase to 25 per cent from 1 June, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.

He said he would impose this on Denmark and European allies opposed to his plans, who currently also include France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

It is not known how this will affect products which are currently exempt from tariffs.

How could Trump's tariffs affect UK economy?

12:30 , Tara Cobham

Countries such as the UK that have high exposure to the US could see their economic growth hit by the tariff plans.

Capital Economics' chief economist Neil Shearing suggested the wider economic effect would be "modest" but it would "shave a few tenths of a percentage point off GDP in the affected economies".

He added: "The countries most exposed are those with the largest export shares to the US - notably the UK and Germany.

"A 10 per cent tariff could reduce GDP in those economies by around 0.1 per cent, while a 25 per cent tariff could knock 0.2-0.3 per cent off output."

Goldman Sachs economists Giovanni Pierdomenico and Sven Jari Stehn said the impact could be higher, indicating that the proposed 25 per cent tariff could affect countries' GDP by between 0.25 per cent and 0.5 per cent.

Farage says he'll discuss 'wrong' tariffs with US administration in Davos

12:14 , Tara Cobham

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage described Donald Trump's threats of tariffs over Greenland as "wrong", and said he would be speaking to the US administration about it at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week.

Speaking outside Parliament on Monday morning, Mr Farage told reporters: "I think he's wrong. I think what he's done is wrong. I don't think you turn on your allies.

"To use economic threats against the country that's been considered to be your closest ally for over 100 years is not the kind of thing you expect. It's wrong. It's bad, very, very hurtful to us.

"I'm all for Trump taking out enemies of the West, (Venezuela's Nicolas) Maduro, the Iranian regime, but if he falls out with his own allies and leaves America isolated, that will be a very bad place to be. So I'm worried about it.

"I will be having some words with the American administration in Davos on Wednesday."

Asked if the Government should impose tariffs in return, he said: "I think to retaliate would probably hurt us even more. We have to negotiate, and it's one area where, with Brexit, we are free to negotiate directly."

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Gold and silver soar to record highs amid Trump tariff threat

12:00 , Tara Cobham

Gold and silver prices have jumped to record highs as the markets react to Donald Trump’s threat of additional tariffs over Greenland.

European stock markets fell on Monday as investors turned to safe-haven assets amid the turbulent geopolitical landscape. Meanwhile, gold rose 1.6 per cent to $4,666 an ounce after reaching a peak at $4,689. Silver also reached a record high of $94.08 an ounce before falling back down to $93.15.

It comes after the US president threatened additional tariffs on eight European countries as his attempts to claim Greenland intensify. On Saturday, Mr Trump said he could impose 10 per cent tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland until the US is allowed to buy the Danish territory.

Nicole Wootton-Cane reports:

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Gold and silver soar to record highs amid Trump tariff threat

Mapped: Which countries has Trump threatened with tariffs over Greenland?

11:49 , Tara Cobham

Germany and France 'will not be blackmailed' with US tariff threat, finance ministers say

11:39 , Tara Cobham

The German and French finance ministers said on Monday that European powers would not be blackmailed and that there would be a clear and united response to US President Donald Trump's threats of higher tariffs over Greenland.

Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs on imports from European allies until the United States is allowed to buy Greenland, intensifying a dispute over the future of Denmark's vast Arctic island.

"Germany and France agree: We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed," German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said at his ministry, where he met with his French counterpart.

"Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable," French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said at the same event.

Everything we learnt from Starmer's emergency press conference

10:31 , Tara Cobham
  • Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Donald Trump’s threat to use tariffs against the UK and other European allies as “completely wrong” in an emergency address made from Downing Street following the US president’s threats to invade Greenland.
  • Sir Keir also urged the nation to unite, saying the crisis was a “moment for the whole country to pull together”.
  • However, he stated that the dispute over Greenland should be resolved through “calm discussion between allies” rather than military action, insisting that the US “remains a close ally”. Sir Keir added that he does not believe Mr Trump’s threats to launch military action in Greenland are genuine.
  • He also signalled Britain would not be looking to engage in a trade war with the Americans and impose retaliatory tariffs, insisting this was “not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance”.
  • But Sir Keir made clear that he will not “abandon principle” while he continues to work with the US. And he warned: “Any decision about the future status of Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone. That right is fundamental.”
  • The prime minister also refused to answer questions on whether he believes the King’s upcoming visit to the US should be cancelled.
  • Sir Keir said he will speak to Mr Trump about Greenland again “in the coming days”.