Trump threatens tariffs on countries opposing his Greenland plan

(Patria) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he could impose tariffs on countries opposing his plan for the U.S. to control Greenland.

At a White House event on the topic of rural healthcare, Trump said he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

- I could do that for Greenland as well. It is possible that I will impose tariffs on countries if they do not agree (on the issue of) Greenland because we need Greenland for national security. So, I could do that - Trump said at the White House.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly said that the strategically located and mineral-rich island is key to the security of the United States and that he is ready to seize it even by military means.

Greenland and Denmark say the island is not for sale and that threats of force are reckless, and that security issues should be resolved among allies.

After a meeting of U.S. officials with representatives of Greenland and Denmark on Wednesday, Trump reiterated his claim that Denmark cannot be relied upon to protect Greenland if Russia or China ever wish to occupy it.

European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, sent a small number of military personnel to Greenland on Thursday, while Denmark said it continues with plans for a "larger and more permanent" NATO presence on the island.

Since the start of his second presidential term, Trump has frequently threatened to impose tariffs on other countries and has introduced them due to their ties with U.S. adversaries and trade policies he deemed unfair to Washington.

Earlier this week, he announced that any country doing business with Iran would face a 25 percent tariff rate in trade with the U.S., in response to the deadly crackdown on protests in Iran.

However, Trump's trade policy is under legal pressure as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the possibility of overturning a wide range of his existing tariffs.