Trump-Greenland live updates: EU to hold emergency meeting today after ‘unacceptable’ US tariff threats

Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 member states are meeting today for an emergency session after US president Donald Trump threatened a wave of escalating tariffs on European allies unless the United States is allowed to buy Greenland.

Cyprus, which currently holds the EU’s six-month rotating presidency, said late on Saturday that it had convened the meeting, which EU diplomats said was due to begin at 5pm.

President Donald Trump is facing opposition to his tariff announcement from Democrats, as well as from Europe.

Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee said he will be “ offering a resolution to terminate these illegal and absurd tariffs immediately”.

He added that Trump is “manufacturing a foreign crisis” and said that it is “incredible that he wants to double down on the stupidity by imposing tariffs on our closest allies,” Sky News reported.

The former chief of Nato has accused Donald Trump of making Russian “gangster”-style threats against Greenland as protests against US intervention got underway in Denmark.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former head of Nato and former Danish prime minister, warned that the US president was using his threat over Greenland as “a weapon of mass distraction from the real threats” such as Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Rasmussen said in relation to Trump’s threats over Greenland: “For me, it’s been a painful process. Since childhood, I have considered the United States as the natural leader of the free world. I’ve even spoken about the US as the world’s policeman”.

Rasmussen’s remarks are particularly damning for the US administration, as he once sent Danish troops to fight with the US in Afghanistan.

“Now we see the United States use a language that’s pretty close to the gangsters that they should control in Moscow, Beijing, etc,” he added.

At least half a dozen GOP lawmakers have criticized the proposal, calling it unprecedented, damaging to U.S. alliances, and a move that could trigger impeachment proceedings.

“There’s certainly not an appetite here for some of the options that have been talked about or considered,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said this week, according to Politico. Senator Mitch McConnell, Thune’s predecessor, said that military action against the territory would be “an unprecedented act of strategic self-harm,” which would risk “incinerating” NATO alliances.

In recent weeks, Trump has reiterated his strong interest in acquiring Greenland, potentially through military force, for U.S. national security purposes. He has claimed the Arctic island, home to about 57,000 people, faces threats from Russia and China.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said on Saturday that Democrats would move to block president Donald Trump’s proposed 10 per cent tariffs on European countries, imposed over his demand that the US acquire Greenland.

“Donald Trump’s foolhardy tariffs have already driven up prices and damaged our economy and now he is only making things worse,” Schumer said in a statement. “It is incredible that he wants to double down on the stupidity by imposing tariffs on our closest allies for his quixotic quest to takeover Greenland.”

“Senate Democrats will introduce legislation to block these tariffs before they do further damage to the American economy and our allies in Europe,” he said.

Republican senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also criticised the tariffs, with Tillis saying they were “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies”.

“We are already seeing the consequences of these measures in real time: our NATO allies are being forced to divert attention and resources to Greenland, a dynamic that plays directly into Putin’s hands by threatening the stability of the strongest coalition of democracies the world has ever seen,” Murkowski wrote on X.

Thousands of Greenlanders marched across snow and ice on Saturday to protest against US president Donald Trump, as fears grow over an American takeover of the territory.

Carrying placards, waving the national flag and chanting “Greenland is not for sale”, the demonstrators voiced support for self-governance and rejected mounting pressure from Washington.

A German auto industry lobby group has warned the cost of Trump’s tariffs will be “enormous” for German and European industry.

“The costs of these additional tariffs would be enormous for German and European industry, especially in these already challenging times,” said Hildegard Mueller, the president of the German auto industry association VDA.

“What is crucial now is a smart, strategic response from Brussels that is coordinated with the countries affected,” she added.

Sir Keir Starmer and several European leaders have united in condemning Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Nato allies as part of a bid to pressure Denmark into selling Greenland to the United States.

The British prime minister described the move as “completely wrong” and said he would raise the issue directly with the US administration.

“Our position on Greenland is very clear – it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” Sir Keir said.

“We have also made clear that Arctic security matters for the whole of Nato, and allies should do more together to address the threat from Russia across the Arctic.

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing collective security is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”

Earlier this week, the UK confirmed it had sent a military officer to Greenland at Denmark’s request, as Copenhagen stepped up its presence in the Arctic and High North.

Downing Street said the officer had joined a reconnaissance group ahead of a planned Arctic endurance exercise and denied it amounted to a deployment.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Trump was “completely wrong”, warning the measures would burden British businesses.

Reform leader Nigel Farage said the tariffs would hurt the UK economy, while Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Mr Trump of “punishing” Britain.

Thousands of Greenlanders braved freezing weather conditions to march on snow and ice against US president Donald Trump’s plans ro takeover the autonomous territory.

They held signs of protest, waved their national flag and chanted “Greenland is not for sale” in support of their own self-governance in the face of increasing threats of an American takeover.

Just as they finished their trek from the small downtown of Greenland’s capital city Nuuk to the US consulate, the news broke: Trump, from his home in Florida, announced he will charge a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries over their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland.

In Nuuk, Greenlanders of all ages listened to traditional songs as they walked to the consulate.

“I thought this day couldn’t get any worse but it just did,” Malik Dollerup-Scheibel said. “It just shows he has no remorse for any kind of human being now.”

Our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told the Independent: “Trump’s threat is reckless, dangerous and is bound to fail.

The UK, France, Germany and many other European countries will maintain their opposition to any US attempt to annexe Danish territory against the wishes of the Danish, and Greenland people.

Greenland has been governed by Denmark since the 1720s, 50 years before the United States was even created.

“Trump has as much right to demand the annexation of Greenland against the wishes of its people as Canada would have to demand Alaska; or Mexico to demand the return of New Mexico.

Tariff increase threats should have no impact on the British or European response.

We must hope that US Senators and Congressmen, regardless of party, will make clear their united opposition to this dangerous policy of the current President. Also, the US Supreme Court should rule that the tariff threats would be illegal and that annexation of Greenland would violate the US Constitution.

If the American people do not force the President to drop this policy then we will face a serious breach between Europe, including the UK, and the US for the remainder of the Trump Presidency. This will create many serious economic and political problems. But to concede Trump’s demands would be much worse.

Trump is not as bad as Putin but he seems determined to destroy his own reputation in a manner that history will not forgive.”