Overview
- President Trump asserted the United States must have “total and absolute control” of Greenland in a message to Norway’s prime minister, whose office confirmed the letter’s authenticity.
- The White House threatened an extra 10% tariff on imports from eight European countries that oppose a U.S. takeover of Greenland, with implementation flagged for February 1 on top of existing 15% duties.
- EU leaders denounced the pressure as economic blackmail and scheduled an extraordinary summit for January 22 to coordinate countermeasures, including activation of the anti‑coercion toolbox.
- Denmark and Greenland reaffirmed sovereignty and Greenlandic self‑determination and proposed a NATO surveillance mission on the island, as small European military contingents remain deployed.
- U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned it would be “very ill‑advised” for Europe to retaliate, while stocks in Paris, Frankfurt and Milan fell by more than 1% on the escalating dispute.