President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will impose a 10% tariff on eight European countries that this week have sent military personnel to Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark that that president is trying to conquer.
Key data
Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will face the tariff—effective February 1—“on any merchandise shipped to the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The tariff will increase to 25% on June 1, according to Trump, who said the payments will have to be paid until his proposed purchase of Greenland is completed.
Trump reiterated that China and Russia also want Greenland, writing that “Denmark can do nothing about it” and that it is “time for Denmark to give something back” at the risk of world peace.
His announcement comes just a day after he threatened possible tariffs during a White House roundtable: “We need Greenland with national security, so he may do it.”
Crucial ideals
“These countries, that are playing this very dangerous game, have put into play a level of risk that is neither sustainable nor sustainable,” Trump said. “Therefore, it is imperative that, to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially dangerous situation ends quickly and without question.”
Key background
Trump’s announcement is retaliation against countries that earlier this week began providing military aid to Greenland. The intention, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Thursday, was “to establish a more permanent military presence with a greater Danish contribution.” Trump has revived his attempts to take control of Greenland this month, even suggesting he could use military force, writing on Wednesday that “anything less than” a US takeover of Greenland would be “unacceptable.” However, following the visit of the leaders of Greenmark and Denmark to the White House on Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated that the United States and Denmark continue to have a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland.
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Major critics
Kemi Badnoch, leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom, called the tariffs a “terrible idea” that Trump is “completely wrong” to impose on the United Kingdom: “These tariffs will be yet another burden on businesses across our country. Greenland’s sovereignty should only be decided by the people of Greenland.” Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom, said Trump is punishing the country and its allies “just for doing the right thing,” calling on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer “to stand firm against the bully in the White House and work with European and Commonwealth allies to withdraw from this reckless plan.”
What goods would be affected by tariffs?
The trade agreement between the European Union and the United States is considered one of the best economic relations in the world, with the United States being the EU’s main trading partner for exports and second behind China for imports. Products exported to the US from Europe include medicinal and pharmaceutical products, road vehicles and industrial machinery and equipment, according to the Council of the European Union.
A precursor to the end of NATO?
Trump’s announcement raises tensions with NATO, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen signaling the demise of NATO if the United States attacked Greenland. According to The Guardian, Frederiksen said: “if the United States decides to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything would stop, that includes NATO security and therefore post-World War II security.” Similarly, Nicole Covey, a researcher at the Canadian Institute of Global Affairs, told Global News that an attack would be “the end of the alliance. I don’t see how the alliance could survive an event like that.” NATO was created in 1949 as a collective alliance against Soviet influence in Europe and is currently made up of 32 countries in North America and Europe.
This article was originally published in Forbes US
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