LONDON, January 20. /TASS/. Behind the scenes, some European diplomats have expressed concern that the move to send European military forces to Greenland could escalate the situation further, The Financial Times reported.

"I’m not sure this was Denmark’s finest hour. The messaging felt a little too subtle. We understood the intention was to show we were taking care of Arctic security. But we were worried [US President Donald] Trump could see this as being to defend against him," a diplomat told the newspaper.

Another source interviewed by the FT said the hasty deployment of troops did little to defuse the situation. "It is easy to see how Trump could misunderstand the intention," he added.

The FT notes that Danish officials said the troop deployment was preceded by "months of fruitless private diplomacy" with Washington. According to them, Copenhagen had repeatedly and unsuccessfully sought assurances from the US about its intentions regarding Greenland. The newspaper recalls that a British soldier, two Finns, and several dozen troops from Denmark, Germany, and France were sent to the autonomous territory for drills.

Earlier, the White House host announced on Truth Social that the US would begin imposing 10% tariffs on the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, France, and Sweden, which would remain in effect until the parties reach an agreement on the full and final acquisition of Greenland by Washington. The decision is set to take effect on February 1, with the duty rate increasing to 25% from June 1.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement in addition to their NATO obligations. Under the treaty, the US committed to defend the island from potential aggression.