U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Friday he might impose tariffs on countries that do not support the U.S. controlling Greenland. The statement came during an unrelated White House event focused on rural health care, where Trump recounted threatening European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals.
Trump stated, "I may do that for Greenland too. I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that." This marks the first time Trump has publicly mentioned using tariffs as a tool to acquire the Arctic island.
For months, Trump has asserted the U.S. should control Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to Denmark, a NATO ally. He stated earlier this week that anything less than U.S. control of the island would be unacceptable.
The U.S. pursuit of Greenland has faced resistance from both Denmark and Greenland's government. Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While the meeting did not resolve the existing disagreements, it did result in an agreement to establish a working group to further discuss the matter.
The potential acquisition of Greenland raises questions about U.S. national security interests in the Arctic. The island's strategic location has geopolitical implications, particularly concerning access to natural resources and control over shipping lanes.
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