Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to seize Greenland since returning to the White House for a second term. They would rise to 25% from June 1 “until such time as a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland”, Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel, meanwhile, called Trump’s threat an “inexplicable” form of “blackmail”. “In this escalation of tariffs, [Trump] has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists,” she told broadcasters Europe 1 and CNews. Norway, targeted by Trump’s tariffs threat but, like Britain, not an EU member, said it was not currently looking at retaliation against US goods.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 18, 2026 16:57 UTC