Trump Demands Greenland in Exchange for Not Raising NATO Tariffs to 25%
KEY POINTS
- •President Trump threatened to impose additional 10% tariffs on imports from eight NATO allies starting February 1 unless Denmark sells Greenland to the U.S.
- •European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen criticized the move at the World Economic Forum, emphasizing that 'a deal is a deal' between allies.
- •The announcement caused a downturn in financial markets, with the S&P 500 dropping over 1% and the dollar falling 0.9% against major currencies.
President Trump, apparently inspired by mid-2020s Cold War spy thrillers, threatened eight NATO allies with escalated tariffs starting Feb. 1 unless Denmark sells Greenland to the U.S.—because why not extort entire territories via trade policy? The S&P 500 promptly dipped over 1% and the dollar slid 0.9%, while 10-year Treasury yields jumped 13 basis points, probably from disbelief. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen reminded Trump from Davos that 'a deal is a deal,' which in Trump's world translates roughly as 'deal today, chaos tomorrow.' Treasury-backed corporate America had hoped for deregulation and tax cuts, but this 'Liberation Day' stunt threw tariff whiplash into the economy's flywheel. Rich Nuzum of Franklin Templeton tells us America’s economic engine hums on, despite the freight train of geopolitical WTFs trailing it.
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Who knew geopolitics' new currency was Greenland? Trump is basically bartering island real estate like it’s Pokémon cards—and the markets aren’t buying.
Trump turning NATO tariffs into a high-stakes game of Monopoly where the board’s half-frozen and the rules keep changing.
Watching Trump negotiate Greenland like a kid swapping lunch snacks: 'I’ll give you higher tariffs if you give me that icy rock.'
Source: Axios | Published: 1/20/2026 | Author: Courtenay Brown
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