President Donald Trump said on Jan. 16, 2026, that he may impose tariffs on countries that do not support his goal of bringing Greenland under U.S. control, tying trade pressure to a fast-escalating Arctic dispute.
Speaking during a White House roundtable on rural health care, Trump said, “I may do that for Greenland, too,” after describing his broader tariff policies. He added that the United States “needs Greenland for national security,” without naming specific countries that could be targeted.
The remark came as the administration keeps alive multiple pathways to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Trump has spoken openly about a negotiated purchase while refusing to rule out military options. Danish and Greenlandic leaders have rejected any change in sovereignty and have warned that coercive steps, including tariffs or force, would strain the NATO alliance.
What Trump said and the legal backdrop
Trump’s tariff comment followed recent statements that he intends to secure Greenland “one way or the other.” He did not announce a new policy or tariff rate, and the White House did not publish a list of countries that might be affected.
The suggestion lands as a pending Supreme Court case weighs the legality of the administration’s sweeping tariff regime under emergency powers. Trump referenced the case, saying an adverse ruling would be “a shame for our country,” a sign that any new trade move would sit atop unsettled law.
A ruling on the tariff authorities is still pending. Lower courts have previously raised questions about the scope of presidential power to impose global tariffs without congressional approval. A decision could shape the president’s leverage in any trade confrontation that he links to Greenland. Trade lawyers note that distinct statutes, including national-security trade tools, could still be available depending on how the Court rules and how the administration structures any action.
Denmark, Greenland and talks in Washington
A bipartisan congressional delegation and senior European officials have met in Copenhagen and Washington to “lower the temperature” around the issue. On Jan. 14, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt met Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House.
Rasmussen described the session as “frank, but also constructive,” and said a high-level working group would convene within weeks to explore security cooperation that respects Danish and Greenlandic red lines.
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has been explicit that the island is not for sale and will remain within the Kingdom of Denmark. He said Greenland chooses Denmark and NATO, not U.S. ownership. Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s prime minister, called recent pressure “completely unacceptable,” while reiterating that cooperation with the United States in the High North remains essential within existing legal frameworks.
Allies, tariffs and the risk to NATO cohesion
Trump’s public linkage of tariffs to Greenland adds a trade dimension to a sovereignty dispute among allies. European governments have warned that coercive moves would damage trans-Atlantic ties and could prompt political responses in Brussels and national capitals. The European Union is one of America’s largest trading partners.
Any new U.S. tariffs aimed at allies over Greenland would test the balance between Washington’s Arctic priorities and its broader economic relationships.
European leaders have also highlighted the military stakes. The United States already operates Pituffik Space Base in northwest Greenland, a Cold War early-warning site transferred to the U.S. Space Force in 2019. Denmark has announced expanded air and maritime presence in and around Greenland, and allies are participating in Arctic exercises led by Copenhagen. Supporters of enhanced allied activity argue that it addresses U.S. security concerns without altering sovereignty.
