"We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed"/ European leaders react to Trump's tariff announcement

2026-01-17 20:59:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed"/ European leaders

Leaders of European countries that US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on have reacted to his decision, which came as a result of disagreements over the Greenland issue. According to Trump, countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will be charged a 10% tariff on every good shipped to the US.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France remains committed to the sovereignty and independence of nations, while expressing his support for Greenland and Denmark. In a post on “X”, Macron says that no intimidation or threats will affect us, while describing Trump’s tariff threats as unacceptable.

"Europeans will respond to them in a united and coordinated way if they are confirmed. We will make sure that European sovereignty is respected," Macron said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson emphasized his stance on the Greenland issue and said that they will not allow themselves to be blackmailed.

"We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed. Only Denmark and Greenland decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. I will always defend my country and our allied neighbors. This is an EU issue that concerns many more countries than those that are currently being singled out. Sweden is now holding intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom about a collective response ," he said in "X".

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called Trump's threat to impose tariffs on US allies "completely wrong".

"Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for Greenlanders and Danes. We have also made it clear that Arctic security matters to all of NATO and allies must do more together to address the threat from Russia in different parts of the Arctic. Applying tariffs to allies to pursue the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course pursue this issue directly with the US administration ," he said in a statement.

The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, in his reaction said that the EU is coordinating a joint response.

"The European Union will always be very determined in defending international law, which of course begins within the territory of the European Union member states ," Costa said at a press conference moments after Trump's surprise announcement.

United States President Donald Trump announced earlier that he will impose new tariffs on a number of European countries that export goods to the US, starting February 1. Trump says these will remain in effect until an agreement is reached for the full and total purchase of Greenland by the US.

In his post on Truth Social, Trump said that countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland will be charged a 10% tariff on every good shipped to the US. On June 1, this will increase to 25%, the US president has announced.

Tariffs are taxes on imported goods. Typically, the payment is a percentage of the value of a good. For example, a 10% tariff on a $10 product would mean an additional $1 in tax — bringing the total cost to $11. The tax is paid to the government by companies that import foreign products. These firms can pass on some or all of the additional cost to their customers, which in this case means ordinary Americans and other American businesses. /CNA