Tariff War Rekindled Over Opposition to Greenland Annexation... Europe Says "Agreements Are Useless"

As U.S. President Donald Trump played the "tariff card" against eight European countries opposing the United States' intention to annex Greenland, Europe is now moving to formulate countermeasures following a wave of anger and frustration.

The day after President Trump announced that he would impose a 10% tariff on goods from countries that have dispatched small military forces to Greenland starting from February 1, and a 25% tariff from June 1, representatives of European Union (EU) member states agreed to meet at 5 p.m. on January 18 (local time) in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss their response.

Europe immediately unleashed criticism against President Trump for threatening NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies with tariffs. French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "We will not yield to threats," while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has previously refrained from openly criticizing President Trump, also issued an unusually strong rebuke, saying, "This is completely wrong."

Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "China and Russia must be having a field day," adding, "If Greenland's security is at risk, it can be resolved within NATO. Tariffs risk making both Europe and the United States poorer."

Given that last year's trade agreement with the Trump administration was considered a "humiliating negotiation," there is also considerable frustration. In July of last year, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, met with President Trump in Scotland, UK, and concluded a trade deal that centered on imposing a 15% tariff on most EU products. In a survey conducted by the French think tank Geopolitical Research Group (GEG) among EU citizens in September of the same year, 52% of respondents said they felt "humiliated," and 50% supported von der Leyen's resignation.

Bloomberg News commented on President Trump's latest tariff threat, stating, "It reminded European leaders of the harsh reality that 'no deal is ever final,'" and pointed out, "While it is unclear whether tariffs will actually be imposed, he trampled on an agreement within six months and insulted close allies."

Major foreign media outlets and experts also noted that it is unclear whether the Trump administration can actually impose tariffs on the European countries in question. According to the Associated Press, citing European diplomats, the EU is a single market, raising doubts about how President Trump intends to impose tariffs on individual countries he mentioned.

There is also uncertainty over whether President Trump can impose broad tariffs based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), as the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing the matter. This means it is not clear whether the additional tariffs can actually take effect from February 1, as President Trump has claimed.