Photo: ReutersThe European Union and Britain stand firm in their commitment to uphold the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says. Trump vowed on Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU members Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and Norway, until the US is allowed to buy Greenland - a step major EU states decried as blackmail. The shortest route from Europe to North America runs via Greenland, an Arctic territory held by Scandinavian country Denmark. Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press programme, Bessent said taking ownership of Greenland is crucial in a geopolitical chess match with Russia and China. As tensions with the EU escalated on Sunday, Bessent said he believed European leaders would ultimately "come around" to the idea of US control of Greenland.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 18, 2026 23:02 UTC