‘Now it is time…’: Trump’s fresh warning to Denmark, Greenland over ‘Russian threat’

US President Donald Trump on Monday (Jan 19) once again threatened a possible annexation of Greenland, accusing Denmark of being “unable to do anything” about the “Russian threat”. He also claimed that NATO had warned Copenhagen about the same for 20 years. This comes amid the escalating tensions over the Arctic territory that Trump has been eyeing since he came into office in January last year.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote late Sunday, “NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland.’ Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!”

Earlier on Saturday (Jan 17), tension between the Trump administration and NATO allies flared after Trump announced imposing a 10 per cent tariff on Greenland’s allies, including Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland. Trump also warned that the tariffs, which will be levied from February 1, will be increased to 25 per cent on June 1.

“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social. “These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable. Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation ends quickly, and without question.”

While Denmark called the move a “surprise”, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Trump’s imposition of tariffs over Greenland was “completely wrong”. French President Emmanuel Macron said that “Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context,” while Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told AFP that “We won’t let ourselves be intimidated.” In a statement, European Union leaders said the bloc “stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”

Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets of Greenland’s Nuuk and Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, on Saturday (Jan 17) to protest against US President Donald Trump’s threats on Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen was also seen participating in the protest as he waved the country’s flag and sang traditional Inuit songs under light rain along with the demonstrators.