OSLO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that her country will not negotiate over its sovereignty, responding to U.S. threats of tariffs in a dispute over Greenland.
Frederiksen noted that Denmark has never sought any conflicts. However, Denmark is now being threatened by its closest ally, both in terms of Danish territory and Greenlandic self-determination, she told the parliament.
On the tariffs the United States has threatened to impose, Frederiksen said a trade war would cost jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. "As much as we must warn against it, we must also prepare for it," she said.
In a social media post over the weekend, Trump said the United States would impose a 10-percent tariff from Feb. 1 on goods from eight European countries opposing his ambition to control Greenland. He warned the tariff rate would rise to 25 percent on June 1 and remain in place until a deal is reached for the "complete and total purchase" of Greenland.
The remarks have intensified a backlash that has been building across Europe. EU leaders will hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to address the tensions, European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said Monday. EU economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the bloc could renew a pending tariff package or deploy anti-coercion measures. ■