Europe pledged a unified reaction after President Donald Trump stated he would impose tariffs on eight of its allies for deploying troops to Greenland—an autonomous territory of Denmark that the president has repeatedly .

On Saturday, Trump announced he would implement 10% tariffs on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland—all of which have sent small contingents of military personnel to Greenland in recent days to .

This action, coming as Trump has intensified his campaign to annex the territory, sparked widespread condemnation from the leaders of these supposed U.S. allies, who were already subject to 10% and 15% tariffs. The dispute could cast doubt on the trade deals the U.S. signed with the U.K. in May and the European Union in July.

On Sunday, the eight nations released a joint statement affirming that they “stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.” 

“As members of Nato, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest. The pre-coordinated Danish exercise Arctic Endurance conducted with Allies, responds to this necessity. It poses no threat to anyone,” the statement said. 

“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty,” it added. 

The day before, Trump’s announcement ignited a firestorm across European capitals as he used tariff threats in his latest attempt to acquire Greenland for the United States.

“Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump said in a Truth Social announcing the tariffs. 

Trump further stated that the tariffs would rise to 25% on June 1 and remain in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

His remarks coincided with thousands of people rallying on Saturday in Danish cities like Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense—along with Greenland’s capital Nuuk—to oppose Trump’s annexation plans. In Nuuk, hundreds marched to the U.S. consulate, some that read “Greenland is not for sale,” and “Yankees go home!”

Trump’s tariff announcement drew unusually direct reactions from the leaders of several of America’s closest allies on Saturday. 

“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, adding that he would raise the issue directly with the White House.

“Our position on Greenland is very clear—it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark and its future is a matter for the Greenlanders and the Danes,” he continued.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the tariffs “unacceptable.”

“No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations,” he said.

Trump’s threat is expected to trigger a retaliatory response from Europe. The European Union summoned ambassadors to an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday, and Reuters reported the bloc could suspend work on the U.S. trade deal it struck in July.

European Council President Antonio Costa said he was “coordinating a joint response from the European Union’s member states on this issue.”

Speaking on Sunday, German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil stated: “And so the very clear signal: we will not be blackmailed, and there will be a European response.”

Trump has claimed that any outcome short of full U.S. control over Greenland would be “unacceptable, ” and has stated that annexing the territory is essential for “national security.” 

European countries, however, have firmly opposed the U.S. takeover of Greenland.

Earlier this week, Denmark boosted its military presence on the island and held joint military drills with the European allies targeted by Trump’s tariffs.

Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters during a visit to Washington this week that Denmark was reinforcing Arctic security “by committing additional funds for military capabilities—not dogsleds, but ships, drones, fighter jets, etc,” referring to an often-repeated jibe by Trump that Denmark’s military presence on the island consisted entirely of dogsleds.

Several European NATO allies announced they would also send military personnel to the island after Danish representatives emerged from White House meetings, declaring they had “fundamental disagreements” with the Trump administration over who should control Greenland.

When announcing France’s participation in the Greenland military exercises, Macron criticized Trump’s ambitions.

“We live in a world where destabilizing powers have awakened,” Macron said.

“We are seeing certainties that sometimes lasted for decades being called into question, and Europe is being shaken in some of its certainties,” he said. Europe “sometimes has allies that we thought were predictable, always by our side, who are now causing us to have serious doubts, or even turning on those who doubted the least.”

The U.K., Germany, Sweden, and Norway have also deployed troops to participate in the military exercise Operation Arctic Endurance.

Greenland’s leaders and citizens have clearly expressed their opposition to the U.S. potentially taking control of the territory. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated this week that the island would over the U.S. if forced to choose, while surveys show that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose the idea of becoming part of the U.S.

“Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric. We are a people. A land. And democracy,” Nielsen said earlier this month. “This has to be respected. Especially by close and loyal friends.”

During his second term, Trump has often used tariffs as a to negotiate deals with India, China, and the U.K.—securing lower tariffs in exchange for concessions on his policy priorities.