This time U.S. President Donald Trump has got the U.K. and other Western European countries quaking  in fear as he threatens to place additional tariffs on them if they do not support his take over of Greenland.

U.K. Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has decided not to incur Trump’s wrath and is taking a meek approach.  Many Western European countries, including France, Germany and the U.K., are reticent about getting behind Denmark and fulsomely rebuffing President Trump’s moves to take over Greenland.

This may be because the United States has been the primary financial supporter of NATO and have acceded to its dominance as the leading military and financial power in the world.

Starmer and Europe went along with Trump capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but they are unwilling to vociferously condemn Trump’s advances on Greenland, which comes under the control of Denmark.

Trump, for his part, is not in any way daunted by a combined Europe pushback and believes he will get them to yield and concede here. President Trump regards Europe as now a third-rate power whose glory days are well past it, with the U.S. being the pre-eminent force in the world in the twenty-first century. 

There is not one leader in Europe other than Vladimir Putin able or willing to stand up to President Trump. This insipidness colours Europe’s diplomatic approach to the Trump administration. All Europe can do is smile while it takes it.

Sir Kier Starmer tried to sound defiant, saying, “ Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course, be pursuing this directly with the U.S. administration.”

President Trump has declared that the U.K., Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland will now have to pay a 10 per cent tariff beginning February 1, 2026, and it will go up to 25 per cent on June 1, unless they cave in and hand over Greenland.

This comes after President Trump already placed a 10 per cent tariff on some U.K. goods in April of last year.

Many of these European countries were supposed to contribute a minimum of 2 per cent of their respective GDPs into the defensive capabilities of NATO. They failed to do so and depended on the United States to pick up the tab, which it did. It was naive to expect an endless free lunch and to have the U.S. act as big brother without reciprocating in return.

Since World War II, Europe has ceded imperial dominance to the United States, relying on its” special relationship” in times of need. Donald Trump turned that on its head and is aware that Europe is now fractured, diminished and fully dependent on the United States. He has exercised leverage, and the whip is in his hands.

President Trump issued a statement on his Truth Social platform spelling this out.

“We have subsidised Denmark and all of the countries of the European Union and others for many years by not charging them tariffs or any other forms of remuneration. Now, after centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back- world peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it.

“They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently. Only the United States of America under President Donald J. Trump can play in this game and very successfully at that! Nobody will touch this sacred piece of land especially since the National Security of the United States and the world at large is at stake.

“On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland have journeyed to Greenland for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the safety, security and survival of our planet. These countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.

“Therefore, it is imperative that in order to that in order to protect global peace and security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation ends quickly and without question.

“The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and for any of these countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection over so many decades.”

Some European leaders have found this distasteful and have taken exception to this sentiment. They say President Trump is out of line and that he faces pushback from a united Europe.

President of France Emmanuel Macron responded: “No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations.

“Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty.”

The Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson writing on X declared: “ We will not let ourselves be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland.

“I will always stand up for my country and for our allied neighbours. This is an EU issue that affects many more countries than those now being singled out. Sweden is now having intense discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom for a coordinated response.”

The President of the European People’s Party, Manfred Weber, also taking to X wrote: ’The EPP is in favour of the EU-U.S. trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage. The 0% tariffs on U.S. products must be put on hold.”