Germany Hits Back at U.S. Tariff Threat Over Greenland

(MENAFN) Germany's Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil declared Sunday that his nation will not capitulate to United States pressure surrounding Greenland policy, a German public broadcaster reported.

"We must not allow ourselves to be blackmailed by what is happening right now," Klingbeil stated during an event in Rhineland-Palatinate, a western German state.

Klingbeil emphasized the necessity of a firm response, noting that European states are coordinating their answer to U.S. threats. "A line has been crossed here," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States would slap 10-percent tariffs on all imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, and Finland concerning Greenland, effective Feb. 1.

The levies would surge to 25 percent on June 1 and persist until an agreement is reached for the United States to purchase Greenland, he wrote on social media.

Greenland, the planet's largest island, operates as a self-governing territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen maintaining authority over defense and foreign affairs. The United States operates a military installation on the island.

Since resuming office in 2025, Trump has persistently voiced ambitions to "obtain" Greenland and has recently escalated his threats.

Multiple German media outlets reported Sunday that a German reconnaissance team, which reached Nuuk on Friday, had concluded its mission and was set to depart the island Sunday. Several European nations have deployed military personnel to Greenland for a joint operation.

MENAFN19012026000045017169ID1110617811