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Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on buying and selling companions that don’t again his efforts to accumulate Greenland as he redoubles his drive to take over the Arctic island.
“I could put a tariff on international locations in the event that they don’t associate with Greenland, as a result of we want Greenland for nationwide safety. So I could do this,” the US president mentioned at a White Home occasion on Friday.
Trump has strengthened his rhetoric about wanting the Danish territory in current weeks and has not dominated out utilizing army drive to take it, rattling Washington’s European allies. Trump says that if the US doesn’t take the Arctic island, Russia or China would declare it.
In an try to rebut Trump’s designs on the island, some European Nato members, together with Denmark, this week agreed to ship troops to bolster Greenland’s safety and referred to as for a extra everlasting presence on the island.
Requested on Friday whether or not he would pull the US from Nato if the alliance doesn’t assist him purchase the territory, Trump mentioned: “Nicely we’re going to see. Nato has been coping with us on Greenland. We’d like Greenland for nationwide safety very badly.”
“If we don’t have it, we have now an enormous gap in nationwide safety, particularly relating to what we’re doing when it comes to the Golden Dome,” he added, referring to the $175bn layered missile defence defend he has ordered to be made to guard the US in opposition to superior missile threats.
The menace to impose tariffs on US buying and selling companions if they don’t assist Trump’s push to accumulate Greenland threatens to drive a brand new wedge between Washington and its European buying and selling companions.
Any substantial improve in duties may additionally derail commerce offers struck between international capitals and Washington final 12 months, together with with the EU and UK, threatening a pointy escalation of world commerce rigidity at a time of geopolitical instability.
The president on Friday mentioned his earlier tariff threats to the leaders of nations together with France and Germany had resulted in these international locations co-operating with him on decreasing drug costs and an analogous method may assist him get the island. “I could do this for Greenland too,” he mentioned.
Danish politicians reacted to the tariff menace with dismay.
“We’re coping with a very unpredictable president . . . We’re coping with a person who can’t be trusted, who’s unpredictable, and who’s definitely pushed by the violence of his feelings,” mentioned Inger Støjberg, a former minister and head of the Danish Democrats occasion.
Trump has beforehand mentioned he wish to strike a cope with Denmark and Greenland over buying the territory.
“I hope to make a cope with them. It’s simpler,” Trump mentioned on Sunday. “However by hook or by crook, we’re going to have Greenland.” The White Home earlier this month mentioned “utilising the US army is at all times an possibility”.
The tariff menace comes two days after the US, Denmark and Greenland agreed to determine a high-level working group to debate the island’s future. Nevertheless, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Danish international minister, on Wednesday mentioned “basic disagreement” remained between the 2 sides.
Trump’s menace additionally marks his newest effort to deploy tariffs to bludgeon international governments into aligning with US international coverage objectives.
Final 12 months the US positioned duties on Mexico, Canada and China over their position in fentanyl manufacturing, hit Brazil with further levies over its remedy of former president Jair Bolsonaro and utilized 25 per cent further charges to international locations buying Russian oil.
Trump earlier this week threatened to impose a tariff of 25 per cent on all international locations buying and selling with Iran in a transfer that might have an effect on China and India, however his administration has not taken steps to use the levies.
Some Republicans on Capitol Hill have publicly damaged with the president over his drive to take Greenland and a bipartisan group of US lawmakers visited Denmark on Friday to supply their assist to Copenhagen and categorical their opposition to Trump’s plans.
“Greenland must be seen as our ally, not as an asset. And I feel that’s what you’re listening to with this delegation,” Republican senator Lisa Murkowski mentioned.
