By Alejandra Jaramillo, Sophie Tanno, NCS
(NCS) — President Donald Trump mentioned Saturday the United States will impose new tariffs on a number of European nations until a deal is reached for the acquisition of Greenland, escalating his long-running push for US management of the Arctic territory.
Trump mentioned Saturday he’ll impose a ten% tariff on “on any and all goods” from Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and different nations beginning February 1, rising to 25% on June 1, until an settlement is reached.
“We have subsidized Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them Tariffs, or any other forms of remuneration,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back World Peace is at stake!”
Trump argued that Greenland is central to US and international safety and mentioned Denmark’s defenses had been inadequate, warning that the nations deploying small numbers of army personnel to Greenland amounted to “a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet.”
The president added that the US has sought to amass Greenland for greater than 150 years, and argued that trendy weapons programs and missile protection tasks, together with the “Golden Dome,” make management of the territory particularly vital.
His repeated statements have strained diplomatic relations between the US and Denmark, which owns the territory however offers the native inhabitants the suitable to self-determination, whereas additionally prompting condemnation from NATO’s European member states.
Meanwhile Saturday, protesters demonstrated in Greenland and Denmark in opposition to Trump’s threats to take over the Arctic island, and demanded that its residents must be allowed to find out its personal future.
In Denmark, thousands turned out within the cities of Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense to face in solidarity with the Greenlandic population.
A protest kicked off later in Greenland’s capital of Nuuk. Just earlier than 2p.m. native time there was an estimated crowd of 5,000 – a big proportion of the island’s inhabitants of 56,000. People waved banners together with “Yankee go home,” and “Greenland is already great.”
In Copenhagen many waved banners with slogans together with “Hands off Greenland” alongside the territory’s pink and white flag, in line with Reuters. The protests throughout Denmark had been organized by Greenlandic organizations in cooperation with the NGO ActionAid Denmark. An announcement from ActionAid mentioned the unrest was deliberate to coincide with a go to of US senators to Denmark.
“We are demonstrating against American statements and ambitions to annex Greenland,” Camilla Siezing, Chair of the Joint Association Inuit – one of many Greenlandic organizations concerned in planning the protests – mentioned.
“We demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland’s right to self-determination. Hopefully, we can show that we are many who support Greenland.”
In Greenland on Saturday, protesters had been equally defiant. Asked what her message to the US president was, one feminine protester in Nuuk, who didn’t give her identify, instructed NCS, “We are not for sale.”
Another protester named Patricia mentioned, “We have seen what he (Trump) does in Venezuela and Iran. He doesn’t respect anything, he just takes what he thinks is his… He misuses his power.”
A male protester, who didn’t give his identify, mentioned, “We do not accept this kind of aggression,” referring to Trump’s threats on Greenland.
“My biggest fear is that the US military come here and try to take over our country. But I don’t think it will happen.”
Amid the escalating state of affairs, a US delegation of bipartisan lawmakers had been despatched to Copenhagen to fulfill with leaders from Denmark and Greenland.
In a press convention on Saturday, Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who’s main the delegation, mentioned the Trump administration’s “tempo of statements” round Greenland’s potential acquisition was not constructive.
Senator Coons additionally expressed his respect to the indigenous individuals of Greenland, telling journalists that it was a “remote and difficult place to live, and that the population of Greenland has managed to carve out of an exceptionally difficult environment, a culture and an approach to living that is worthy of deep respect.”
The US lawmaker sought to focus on the partnership between the US and Denmark, together with within the army sphere, saying that the delegation would go to a cemetery later Saturday to put a wreath for Danish troopers who fell preventing alongside American troops in conflicts such as the warfare in Afghanistan.
Reporting from Greenland’s capital of Nook, NCS’s International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson mentioned the go to by the US lawmakers was supposed to sign how a lot Denmark’s army partnership with the US is appreciated. “The visit to that cemetery today to lay a wreath, really for them, will sort of encapsulate how much the United States has valued that partnership, valued the lives laid down by Denmark, by Danish troops,” he mentioned.
Kit Maher and Ivana Kottasová contributed reporting.
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