British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has vowed that the United Kingdom government will not yield to pressure from United States President Donald Trump, who has announced plans to impose trade tariffs on European countries that oppose his bid to acquire Greenland. These tariffs will impact NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries that refuse to back Trump’s bid to take over the Arctic island.
Trump’s Unhinged Tariffs On NATO Countries Over Greenland Dispute
“Our position on Greenland is non-negotiable. We’ve made that very clear. And we’ll continue to make that clear,” Nandy told Sky News as reported by RT on Sunday, referring to an earlier statement by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer said the island’s future “is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes” to decide and that imposing tariffs on NATO states resisting Trump’s aspirations is “completely wrong.”
The eight countries affected, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland, have all said that their stance on Greenland remains unchanged. They have vowed a “united and coordinated” response after Trump announced the 10% levy on imports from the eight NATO countries over their opposition to his plans to acquire the Danish autonomous territory.
Even though several Western allies are pushing back, Trump continues to claim that the U.S. needs Greenland for national security.
Last week, several Western European and Nordic countries – including Germany, France, Sweden, Norway and the UK – sent between one and 15 troops to Greenland for a Danish-led military exercise. German personnel have already returned home, according to a military spokesperson. –RT
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the situation with Greenland “extraordinary in terms of international law” but unsurprising, given Trump’s open disregard for whether other nations view his actions as legal. Moscow is monitoring developments, he added.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the eight nations impacted by Trump’s tariffs accused Washington of putting “transatlantic relations” at risk. His threat of tariffs over their position on Greenland has upped tensions between supposed allies.
On Saturday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson denounced Trump’s move as “blackmail,” while French President Emmanuel Macron called the tariff threats “unacceptable.”
Trump remains unfazed, however, and has declared the tariffs would arrive as soon as February 1st. He also said that those tariffs are to remain in place until a “complete and total purchase” of the Arctic island is achieved. Those import taxes would further rise to 25% in June, should these NATO countries continue to balk at Trump’s acquisition plans.
This may not lead to outright war, but it could mean the loss of several allies, as the U.S. continues on a path toward war. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!