The European Union cohort will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting, with diplomats reporting it was set to start at 5pm.
The US president said the UK will be charged a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” sent to the US from February 1, increased to 25% from June 1, until a deal is reached for Washington to purchase Greenland from Denmark.
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He said the same would apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland and that they had “journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown”.
Although Washington has been ratcheting up pressure over its plans for Greenland, US reports suggest the countries were given no notice of what was coming.
Keir Starmer and European leaders united in condemnation, with the Prime Minister describing Trump’s decision as “completely wrong” and said he would be “pursuing this directly” with the US administration.
Earlier this week, the UK confirmed it had sent a military officer to Greenland as Denmark stepped up its military presence in the Arctic and High North.
Downing Street said they were sent at Denmark’s request to join a reconnaissance group ahead of a planned Arctic endurance exercise, but denied it amounted to a “deployment”.
EU leaders said the Danish exercise “poses no threat to anyone” and warned tariffs would risk a “dangerous downward spiral” in transatlantic relations.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Image: Pool, via REUTERS)
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Antonio Costa said: “The pre-coordinated Danish exercise, conducted with allies, responds to the need to strengthen Arctic security and poses no threat to anyone.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland. Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty.”