Greenland's Leader Responds to Trump's Tariff Threat

Watch experts answer your questions live We’ll be answering your questions on Trump’s latest tariff threat live in the next few moments. Christian Fraser will present the Q&A session at 15:30 on the BBC News Channel and on this page. He'll be joined by: Helena Humphrey, Washington DC correspondent Nick Beake, Brussels correspondent Sophie Gaston, visiting fellow in the Department of War Studies at King's College London You can watch live at the top of this page. EU-US trade deal at risk after Trump's Greenland tariff threat Jonathan Josephs BBC business reporter Less than six months ago, the US and the EU agreed a deal that was meant to stabilise transatlantic trade. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen left President Trump's golf course in Scotland with tariffs of 15% on everything the EU sells to the US - much better than the 30% America had threatened. At the same time, Brussels prepared a package of tariffs that would come into force if no agreement was reached. This included tariffs on everything from livestock to aircraft parts to whiskey, totalling €93bn (£80bn) worth of goods that the US sells to the EU. The high-level agreement meant those taxes were suspended while details were worked out, and the European Parliament was set to ratify the EU-US trade deal next week. But within hours of Trump's threat, influential German MEP Manfred Weber said approval was "not possible at this stage". Without the EU signing off on last year's deal or extending the suspension, the tariffs on billions of euros worth of American goods will kick in on 7 February. That risks a political backlash in the US for Trump from companies that export to Europe. US has long been allowed to build bases and deploy more forces to Greenland Joe Inwood World news correspondent There already are US flags flying in Greenland. Indeed, under a 1951 agreement between the US and Denmark, it is mandated that Stars and Stripes are present in military bases. The "Defence of Greenland Agreement" gives Washington extensive access to the island, including the right to build bases and facilities, deploy more forces and generally operate as they see fit. There are very few restrictions on what the US military can do, so long as they do not impinge on the national interest of Denmark or the local population. US personnel are even exempt from local taxation, as is all imported equipment. In short, the argument that the US would not be able to build bases or deploy forces necessary for the defence of Greenland, or the rest of the continent, is not backed up by the document signed by both governments. The 1951 treaty concludes by saying that the agreement shall remain in force for as long as the Nato alliance survives. It is this final point which is looking the least certain. How did we get here? Donald Trump already made eyes at Greenland back in 2019, during his first stint as US president. But tensions have ramped up considerably since the start of this year. Here are the key events from this month: 3 January 2026: Katie Miller - the wife of one of Trump's senior aides, Stephen Miller - posts on social media a map of Greenland in the colours of the American flag alongside the word "SOON". 6-7 January 2026: The White House confirms Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including use of the military, after European leaders issue a joint statement rallying behind Denmark. 14 January 2026: Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers meet with Trump's team in the White House, but say a "fundamental disagreement" remains after the "frank" discussion. 15 January 2026: Troops and vessels from European Nato allies arrive in Greenland - including Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK. 17 January 2026: Trump announces new taxes on eight US allies - Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK - to come into force from February, if they continue to oppose his proposed takeover of Greenland. Listen: Greenlanders on Trump's plan, and the trauma of colonisation Donald Trump’s desire to annex Greenland has been met with a stern rebuke from many Greenlanders, especially within the island’s Inuit community. BBC Europe editor Katya Adler has been speaking to Inuit women in the capital, Nuuk, about the territory’s history of colonisation and the trauma it has caused. In the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of Inuit women - including girls as young as 12 - were fitted with contraceptive devices as part of a birth-control programme run by Danish doctors. Last year, the Danish government issued a formal apology for the programme. Now, on Trump’s latest proposal on Greenland, tattoo artist Ikimaliq Pikilak says: "I think it’s an unfair position to put our people in." "We get this choice whether we want to be Danish or American. We are asked to choose between two oppressors. From their perspective, there is simply no option for us to just be our own people." Listen to Katya’s dispatch on this week’s edition of From Our Own Correspondent on BBC Sounds. When will we hear from President Trump? Bernd Debusmann Jr Travelling with President Trump I'm currently in West Palm Beach, Florida, where I'm among the White House reporters travelling with President Trump during the extended US holiday weekend. While we've heard from Trump on Greenland on Truth Social - including an overnight post saying "it is time" for the US to take the island - we haven't heard from him in person since Friday afternoon when we arrived. The closest glimpse we got was yesterday afternoon, when the president made a brief visit to a local furniture shop after spending his day at the golf course. We saw him looking at various items through the windows, but the press wasn't in a position to ask any questions. It's unclear when we might hear from him today. He's got nothing on his public schedule until this evening, when he'll make an appearance at the national college football championship game in Miami. We're unlikely to hear from him on policy matters during this appearance. We may, however, hear from him on the flight back to Washington DC at night. Stay with us for more updates. 'We will not let ourselves be pressured,' says Greenland premier Greenland's premier says the country will not be pressured, after Trump's tariff threats over his bid to gain control of the territory. In a post on Facebook, Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomes the support of other nations, calling it "a clear recognition that Greenland is a democratic society with the right to make its own decisions". He adds: "The latest statements from the US, including threats of tariffs, do not change that line. We will not let ourselves be pressured. We stand firm on dialogue, on respect and on international law." Nielsen attended a protest against the US president's demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the US, calling for it to be allowed to determine its own future, in front of the US consulate in the capital of Greenland Nuuk at the weekend. Listen to the latest on the Greenland row on BBC's World at One The BBC is due to speak to Lord Peter Mandelson, who was the British ambassador in Washington until September last year. Lord Mandelson, who was sacked after revelations about his friendship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, will speak to BBC Radio 4's The World at One shortly about Trump’s ambitions to take over Greenland. The show will also have political analysis and reaction. You can watch and listen live on the stream at the top of this page. The increase in trade tensions has hit stock markets across Europe Nick Edser Business reporter As we reported earlier, the gold price has hit a record high this morning but share prices have fallen as investors react to Donald Trump’s threat to impose fresh tariffs But the increase in trade tensions has hit stock markets across Europe. The UK’s FTSE 100 index has fallen 0.6%, Germany’s Dax index is down 1.5% while France’s Cac 40 is 1.6% lower. Carmakers and luxury goods firms - two sectors that stand to lose out from new US tariffs - saw some of the biggest falls. In Germany, shares in car companies BMW, Mercedes-Benz and VW were all down by about 3-4%, while in France luxury brands LVMH and Hermes were among the biggest losers. However, European defence stocks rose, with Germany's Rheinmetall and France's Thales both trading higher. Markets in the US are closed on Monday for a public holiday. If Europe does nothing, it risks looking weak - if it goes too far, it risks a trade war Nick Beake Europe correspondent, reporting from Brussels For the past year, European leaders have been trying to manage, placate, and charm Donald Trump but something has now changed. Some EU leaders are now openly accusing the US president of “blackmail” with his latest tariff threats over Greenland. The dilemma Europe faces is that if it doesn’t do anything in response it risks looking weak and may well embolden the president in his desire to get Greenland. If it goes too far, it risks a trade war with the US, its biggest trading partner. President Macron of France wants the EU to fight back by deploying for the first time the EU’s so-called “trade bazooka” - a weapon originally designed to combat bullying by a hostile external country. They were thinking about China, not the US. Here, the bazooka could mean counter-tariffs on the US, barring US products from the EU single market and banning American companies for bidding for lucrative contracts in the EU. But Giorgia Meloni of Italy is among those leaders who fear this would cause considerable mutual damage and she argues a diplomatic solution must be found to clear up what she has tried to characterise as a “misunderstanding” over the US and EU’s respective positions on Greenland. Whether or not there was any genuine confusion, the fundamental problem is that these positions are poles apart and completely incompatible with each other. Trump linking peace prize snub to tumult of recent days is remarkable Joe Inwood World news correspondent There it is, in black and white, at the very top of an extraordinary message to the Norwegian prime minister. It had long been discussed the extent to which Donald Trump, ever aware of how he is perceived, covets the Nobel Peace Prize. Even so, for him to link it so directly to the diplomatic tumult of recent days is quite remarkable. Last year's award, which is decided by an independent panel, was given to Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado. That was followed by her being sidelined by Trump in discussions about the future of the country, before she promptly arrived at the White House to present him with her medal. Trump has also previously criticised the award given to one of his predecessors. “He got elected and they gave it to (Barack) Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country.” Trump's message goes on to discuss the implications of the perceived snub - suggesting that Trump will now begin to act more directly in the US national interest. This morning, the Norwegian PM released a statement saying: "I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known - the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee". One of the things that has been notable since he returned to the White House is the extent to which international leaders, especially in Europe, have gone out of their way to lavish praise on Donald Trump’s attempts at international peace making. Even that, it seems, has not been enough.