OSLO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen posted on her social media platform on Sunday that "Europe will not be blackmailed," following a series of emergency calls with European leaders after U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats over Greenland.
Frederiksen said she had spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In a post on her social media platform, she said, "The Kingdom of Denmark is receiving great support. At the same time, it is now even clearer that this is an issue that reaches far beyond our own borders."
"It is all the more important that we stand firm on the fundamental values that created the European community," she said, adding, "We want cooperation, not conflict. I am pleased with the consistent messages from the rest of the continent: Europe will not be blackmailed."
The response comes after eight European countries, including Denmark, issued a joint statement expressing "full solidarity" with Denmark and Greenland and warning that the U.S. tariffs, imposed in retaliation for their stance on Greenland, risk triggering a "dangerous downward spiral" in transatlantic ties.
Trump announced on Saturday that the United States would impose a 10 percent tariff from Feb. 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland, and raise the levy to 25 percent from the beginning of June unless a deal is reached for the United States to purchase the territory.
Greenland, the world's largest island, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland. ■