US President Donald Trump on Saturday upped the tensions with European allies by promising a fresh batch of tariffs if Europe does not permit the United States to purchase Greenland, an offer that has met sharp criticism throughout Europe.
In the post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said another 10 percent import tariff would be imposed starting February 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain.
These countries are already experiencing the tariffs introduced in his presidency. Trump said the tariffs would increase even more to 25 percent on June 1 and would stay in place until an agreement is reached that will allow the United States to acquire Greenland.
Trump has repeatedly said that he will settle for nothing less than the ownership of Greenland, a territory with an autonomous status that belongs to Denmark.
Both the Danish government and Greenland’s leadership have been adamant in denying the idea, saying it is not for sale and its citizens do not want to be part of the United States.
The president has claimed that Greenland is of crucial importance to US national security because of its position in the Arctic and its large deposits of minerals.
He has also refused to rule out the use of force, an attitude that has alarmed European governments.
In response some European countries have deployed military personnel to Greenland, at the request of Denmark.
These countries, Trump wrote in the text, are playing a very dangerous game because the risks were “not tenable or sustainable.”
Protests broke out in both Denmark and Greenland on Saturday, protesting demonstrators demanded the right of the island to self-determination.
European leaders said that any attempt by the United States to seize territory from a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation might seriously cripple the alliance.
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