European leaders are hardening their stance toward Donald Trump after he renewed his insistence that the United States must take control of Greenland for national security reasons.
Speaking on Monday night, the US president said Washington “has to have” Greenland and suggested that European governments would not strongly resist his demand. However, that expectation is unlikely to hold when European leaders meet Trump at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.
Greenland is a self-governing territory under Denmark, which is both a member of the European Union and NATO. Trump is now applying pressure on Denmark’s allies within these blocs, urging them to step aside and allow US control of the island. He has reportedly warned that failure to do so could result in heavy tariffs on European exports to the American market.
Such a move would be deeply damaging for Europe’s already struggling economies. Countries heavily dependent on exports to the US—such as Germany, with its automobile industry, and Italy, known for luxury goods—would be particularly exposed.
As a result, European governments appear less willing to take a cautious or accommodating approach, signaling growing resistance to Trump’s aggressive posture over Greenland.
