The eight NATO allies defying Trump on Greenland double down: ‘We are committed to upholding our sovereignty’

"We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response." So responded the eight European countries to which Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs until an agreement is reached on the sale of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory under the sovereignty of Denmark.

These countries are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. All are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which also includes the United States.

The eight countries sent troops to the territory longed by Trump in recent days, assuring that it was a previously scheduled training exercise, called “Arctic Endurance.” In recent hours, the U.S. president threatened them with tariffs, which will first be 10% and then rise to 25%.

“We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,” the eight assured in a statement issued Sunday, in which they said they were “ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand firmly behind.”

They also affirmed that their exercises on the island represent “no threat to anyone.” This is a very different opinion from the one expressed by Trump when he announced the tariffs: "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 end quickly, and without question."

Furthermore, those European governments assured that “tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. … We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty,” they promised in the closing of the statement.

Countries singled out by Trump weigh trade responses

French President Emmanuel Macron assured this weekend that he intended to turn to the mechanisms of the European Union (E.U.). Specifically, he pointed to the bloc's Anti-Coercion Instrument, designed to fight economic threats from outside countries. It allows, for example, blocking investments and access to European public markets. To be activated, it requires a qualified majority.

Macron reaffirmed on Saturday his decision to send troops to Greenland, “because security in the Arctic and at the outer edges of our Europe is at stake. … No intimidation or threat will influence us—neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations,” he posted on X.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni claimed to have spoken with Trump to tell him that his threats were a “mistake.” Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel also called them “inexplicable” and a form of “blackmail,” according to AFP.

Norway, which is not a member of the E.U. but is one of eight countries threatened by the sanctions, said that for the time being it does not plan to retaliate against U.S. imports.

Congressional Democrats and Republicans defend Denmark

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who organized a trip by lawmakers from both parties to Denmark, added his voice to criticism of the president, saying his pledge to impose tariffs on military partners “threatens to blow up the NATO alliance that has kept Americans safe and destroy our standing in the world as a trustworthy ally. … Only Putin is celebrating this terrible, self-defeating strategy.”

“There’s no credible reason to threaten to take Greenland—our long standing and valuable ally. Denmark has for years been a great partner on Arctic security and economic development, and it welcomes further cooperation on both regarding Greenland,” he added.

“These tariffs are unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake,” posted Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the Republicans who traveled to Denmark. “Congress must work together to reassert our Constitutional authority over tariffs so that they are not weaponized in ways that harm our alliances and undermine American leadership,” she said.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, also part of the bipartisan trip, asserted that Trump's response was “great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided.” He further argued that behind Trump's announcement there is “a small handful of ‘advisors’” who are “actively pushing” the president to take over the island territory. This pressure, he says, “hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all the work he has done to strengthen the NATO alliance over the years.”