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Trump threatens to slap tariffs on nations opposing his Greenland takeover plan

Trump threatens to slap tariffs on nations opposing his Greenland takeover plan

US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)

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US President Donald Trump has been frequently repeating his claims that acquiring Greenland is a national security imperative for the United States, and that Denmark is not capable of warding off Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region.

US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose tariffs on countries that don’t support his plan to take over Greenland, part of the territory of NATO ally Denmark. Speaking at an event in the White House, Trump referred to the tariffs he slapped on pharmaceutical imports from the EU as part of his efforts to lower drug prices in the US, and said, “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.”

Trump was hosting a roundtable discussion on rural healthcare at the White House.

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The US President had said on Wednesday that the United States needed Greenland for its national security interests, warning that Russia or China could otherwise attempt to gain control of the strategically located Arctic territory.

Trump has been frequently repeating his claims that acquiring Greenland is a national security imperative, and that Denmark is not capable of warding off Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region.

Greenland and Denmark say the island is not for sale, and that threats of force are reckless and security concerns should be resolved among allies. Prominent EU countries have backed Denmark, which is a member of the NATO alliance.

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Trump’s new tariff threat comes at a time when a bipartisan US Congress delegation began a visit to Copenhagen to voice support for Denmark and Greenland. The two-day visit comes alongside a European show of support in the form of a military reconnaissance mission to Greenland, the Arctic island which is an autonomous Danish territory.

Trump’s special envoy to Greenland said he planned to visit the Danish territory in March, and that he believed a deal could be done.

“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” Jeff Landry said in an interview.

“The president is serious. I think he’s laid the markers down. He’s told Denmark what he's looking for.”

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Anuj Shrivastava

Anuj Shrivastava is a Senior News Editor at WION Digital with over 20 years of experience across publishing, print, and digital media. He’s passionate about news, has a penchant fo...Read More