Member states of the European Union are gearing up for an emergency summit to debate U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating threats against Greenland later this week because the bloc weighs using its “trade bazooka” in addition to other options in response.
That comes as Trump linked his aggressive stance on Greenland to last yr’s decision to not award him the Nobel Peace Prize, telling Norway’s prime minister that he now not felt “an obligation to think purely of Peace,” two European officials said Monday to The Associated Press.
Trump didn’t rule out using force to perform his goal of acquiring Greenland, NBC News reported, citing an exclusive telephone interview with the U.S. news outlet through which Trump was asked if he would use force to seize Greenland.
“No comment,” Trump said.
The president indicated the tariffs were retaliation for last week’s deployment of symbolic numbers of troops from European countries to Greenland, which he has said was essential for the “Golden Dome” missile defence system for the U.S.
The escalating rhetoric from Trump has Europe bracing, with members set to fulfill on Thursday after the weekend saw hundreds of individuals participate in protests against america in Denmark and in Greenland’s capital of Nuuk.
“Given the importance of recent developments and with a purpose to further coordinate, I actually have decided to convene a unprecedented meeting of the European Council in the approaching days,” European Council President António Costa said in an announcement Sunday.
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Trump’s letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre was not released publicly but has been widely reported, with U.S. and international media, including the BBC, reporting on it, citing individuals who’ve seen the letter.
“Considering your Country decided not to offer me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I now not feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it’s going to at all times be predominant, but can now take into consideration what is sweet and proper’ for the US,” Trump reportedly said within the message.
Trump repeated his desire to manage Greenland, adding that the world is “not secure unless we’ve Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”
In October 2025, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
On Friday, Machado presented her prize medal to Trump.
Trump said Saturday that he would charge a ten per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European nations due to their opposition to American control of Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
He has also argued that Russia and China might attempt to take over the island.
Trump has claimed that Russian and Chinese presence within the Arctic makes it obligatory for the U.S. to manage Greenland. On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry said in an announcement that Trump should “stop using the so-called threat from China as a pretext to pursue its own selfish interests.”
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post Monday that the tariff threats wouldn’t change their stance.
“We is not going to be pressured,” he wrote. “We stand firm on dialogue, on respect, and on international law.”
The move is sparking protests across the Arctic and sharp rebukes from Europe and Canada.
“It’s a serious situation and we’re concerned, we’re concerned about this escalation,” Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters during his trip to Doha, Qatar, on Sunday.
While speaking with reporters, Carney reiterated Canada’s support for the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of nations.
“The longer term of Greenland, decisions in regards to the way forward for Greenland are for Greenland and Denmark to choose,” he said. “The safety of Greenland, security is before everything for them, but very much falls inside the responsibility of NATO.”
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