French minister of agriculture Annie Genevard on Sunday said that the United States would suffer consequences of President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on eight countries over not backing his desire to “purchase” Greenland from Denmark. Trump, on Saturday, announced tariffs on eight European countries.
“In this escalation of tariffs, he (Trump) has a lot to lose as well, as do his own farmers and industrialists,” news agency AFP quoted Genevard, as she added that Europeans would not let the United States do as it pleases.
On Saturday, US President Trump took to his Truth Social handle to announce an imposition of 10 per cent tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Finland, all of which belong to the European Union except for the UK and Norway, from February 1. He added that the tariff rates would be increased to 25 per cent from June 1, 2026.
Following the announcement, ambassadors of the European Union on Sunday afternoon held a meeting in Brussels.
Genevard affirmed that although the European Union has a potential strike force from a commercial standpoint, the recent move by the United States has to be handled with caution, noting that an escalation over this issue could be deadly.
“But it could also be deadly for the United States,” she said adding that any takeover or purchase bid for Greenland by the US would be “unacceptable”.
Trump’s tariff bombardment
“This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” Trump further wrote claiming that the United States “needs” the Arctic island of Greenland, which is an autonomous Danish territory, for its national security.
The Republican supremo imposed the tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Finland on Saturday after he claimed that these the nations “journeyed” to Greenland.
The countries sent military personnel to Greenland as part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) exercise called ‘Arctic Endurance’, after prolonged tensions between the US and Denmark over the region’s strategic importance and mineral resources.
Trump added that the US is open to negotiations with Denmark any of the countries.
“The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades,” Trump further wrote in his Truth social post.
