By Micah Jonah
January 18, 2026
Dutch Foreign Minister, David van Weel has described U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on European allies over Greenland as “blackmail.”
Speaking on Dutch television on Sunday, van Weel criticized the move, saying it was unnecessary, harmful to both NATO and Greenland. The threat involves a 10% import tariff set to take effect on February 1
lon goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
Trump has linked the tariffs to European contributions to a NATO exercise in Greenland, insisting that the island, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is vital to U.S. security and must be part of the United States. Leaders in Denmark and Greenland have rejected the proposal, stating the island is not for sale.
In response, ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting to discuss their collective response to the U.S. tariff threat.
