Ashhar Alam

US President Donald Trump has suggested that countries refusing to support US control over Greenland could face punitive tariffs, a remark made as a bipartisan Congressional delegation visited Denmark to ease rising tensions over the Arctic territory.

Trump, who has repeatedly argued that Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory rich in minerals should be under US control, described any outcome short of direct US influence as “unacceptable.”

Speaking at a White House event on rural healthcare, he recounted threatening European allies with tariffs over pharmaceuticals and added, “I may do that for Greenland too… we need Greenland for national security.”

The statement marks the first time the former president publicly linked tariffs to his Greenland ambitions. European leaders, however, insist that the territory’s future is a matter for Denmark and Greenland to decide, not the United States. Denmark has responded by bolstering its military presence on the island in coordination with allies.

During the Copenhagen visit, a Congressional delegation including Senators Chris Coons, Lisa Murkowski, and Jeanne Shaheen met with Danish and Greenlandic officials, emphasizing diplomacy and longstanding alliances.

Murkowski underscored that Greenland should be treated as a partner rather than an asset, noting that roughly 75% of Americans oppose any US attempt to acquire the territory. She has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to prevent US annexation without Denmark’s consent.

Greenlandic leaders have voiced firm opposition to US control. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stressed that Greenland will continue to align with Denmark, NATO, and the EU, while Inuit representatives warned that Washington’s rhetoric reflects a troubling view of Indigenous peoples and smaller nations.

Sara Olsvig, chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, said persistent US claims over Greenland demonstrate a disregard for the rights of the territory’s population.

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Trump’s remarks stand in sharp contrast to the Congressional delegation’s diplomacy-focused approach. While Washington has hinted that strategic concerns about China and Russia justify US interest in Greenland, European and Greenlandic officials maintain that sovereignty decisions must remain in local hands.

The standoff highlights broader tensions over Arctic geopolitics, with Greenland’s strategic location and untapped resources drawing global attention amid competing security and economic interests.