LONDON, January 18. /TASS/. The European Union may resort to economic sanctions, the introduction of trade tariffs, or the threat of eliminating US military bases on its territory to pressure the US over the future of Greenland, The Economist wrote on Saturday.
According to the magazine, it will be extremely difficult for Washington to project its military power into Africa and the Middle East without access to European military bases such as Ramstein. For example, the success of the recent seizures of oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela directly depended on access to resources at British military airfields. It is noted that the White House's ability to monitor and counter threats in the Arctic will require cooperation with Greenland, Iceland, the UK, and Norway, as well as other NATO allies. The magazine notes that a confrontation with the US is unlikely, as it would require the EU to rapidly increase military spending due to its dependence on American troops and the military-industrial sector. Furthermore, a trade war would place a huge burden on EU budgets.
On January 17, Trump announced on Truth Social that the Washington administration has imposed 10% duties on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Finland and the Netherlands, which will remain in force until agreements are reached on "the full and final acquisition of Greenland" by the United States.
This decision comes into effect on February 1, Trump added. As he stressed, from June 1, the rate of these duties will increase to 25%. Furthermore, Trump criticized Europe's intention to send its forces to Greenland, calling it "a very dangerous game." He argued that possession of Greenland is necessary to strengthen US national security and the effective deployment of the American Golden Dome missile defense system.