▲ President Donald Trump speaks during an event to promote investment in rural health care at the White House in Washington on Jan. 16, 2026, in this photo released by the Associated Press. (Yonhap)

Trump-Greenland

Trump threatens tariffs on countries that oppose U.S. acquisition of Greenland

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to levy tariffs on countries if they do not support his push to acquire Greenland, the Danish territory which he says is crucial to America's national security.

Trump made the remarks during a health care-related event at the White House amid European leaders' opposition to the idea of the U.S. taking over Greenland, the Arctic island that is part of Denmark, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland because we need national security," he said. "So I may do that."

His remarks came as a bipartisan congressional delegation reportedly met with Danish and Greenlandic officials in Copenhagen on Friday to show support for them. Led by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), the delegation included Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and other senators.

In a social media post earlier this week, Trump reiterated that the U.S. needs Greenland for national security, adding that if the U.S. does not acquire it, "Russia or China will."

"NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES," he wrote on Truth Social. "Anything less than that is unacceptable."

Last week, the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark issued a joint statement on Greenland, stressing that the island belongs to its people, and that decisions concerning it are for Denmark and Greenland to decide.

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