00:00On Greenland, Beijing is firing back hard.
00:22As President Donald Trump ramps up threats to take control of Greenland,
00:27China is now publicly rejecting what it calls a manufactured excuse.
00:32Beijing says the so-called China threat is being used to justify American self-interest in the Arctic.
00:39China's foreign ministry urged the United States to stop using China as a justification for aggressive moves in Greenland.
00:47Officials warned Washington against turning Arctic security into a geopolitical power grab.
00:53Trump has repeatedly argued Greenland faces threats from Russia and China and says that's why the island must come under U.S. control.
01:02He now wants leverage, threatening tariffs to force Denmark and Europe to negotiate.
01:07But we need that because if you take a look outside of Greenland right now, there are Russian destroyers, there are Chinese destroyers and bigger, there are Russian submarines all over the place.
01:19We're not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland, and that's what they're going to do if we don't.
01:25So we're going to be doing something with Greenland either the nice way or the more difficult way.
01:30In posts on Truth Social, Trump warned of 10 percent tariffs starting February 1, 2026, rising to 25 percent by June, unless Europe agrees to what he calls the complete and total purchase of Greenland.
01:45European Union and NATO leaders have united behind Denmark, warning that economic coercion could damage transatlantic trust.
01:53They insist Greenland's future must be decided by Greenlanders, not tariffs.
01:59The dispute has exposed strains within NATO itself.
02:03Some U.S. lawmakers and even European populist allies are distancing themselves from Trump's tactics, warning of lasting damage to allied unity.
02:13Emergency meetings are underway in Brussels, with EU officials discussing possible retaliatory trade measures if tariffs proceed.
02:21China, meanwhile, is watching closely, rejecting blame while benefiting from Western division.
02:27For now, Greenland remains the fault line, China says it won't be used as an excuse, Europe says sovereignty is non-negotiable,
02:36and the United States is testing how far pressure can go before alliances begin to fracture.
02:51And I may do that for Greenland, too.
03:08I may put a tariff on countries if they don't go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.
03:13So I may do that. I'll give you a little.
03:14A transatlantic showdown has erupted.
03:18President Donald Trump has triggered a political and economic firestorm.
03:23After announcing sweeping tariffs on European allies, he accuses of blocking a U.S. deal for Greenland.
03:31The move has sparked fierce backlash, not just across Europe, but inside the United States,
03:38with allies and lawmakers warning Trump is pushing NATO and global trade toward crisis.
03:45On Saturday, Trump declared that eight European countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany,
03:53the Netherlands, Finland, and Great Britain – will face new 10 percent tariffs starting February 1.
04:00The President framed the move as pressure over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory he wants the U.S. to acquire.
04:08European leaders wasted no time responding.
04:12French President Emmanuel Macron called the tariff threat unacceptable,
04:17warning Europe would respond in a united and coordinated way if Trump follows through.
04:23European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed that message,
04:28pledging full solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.
04:31She stressed that dialogue, not economic coercion, is the only acceptable path forward.
04:38Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson issued one of the strongest rebukes yet,
04:44mourning Washington against blackmailing its allies. He said only Denmark and Greenland have the right to
04:50decide the island's future, and confirmed talks are underway for a coordinated European response.
04:58Denmark's Foreign Minister said he was surprised by Trump's move, noting recent European deployments
05:04to Greenland were meant to enhance Arctic security, not provoke conflict.
05:10UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed Europe, saying Arctic security is a NATO-wide concern,
05:17and the issue would be raised directly with Washington.
05:21Trump's announcement also drew sharp criticism at home.
05:24Senator Bernie Sanders accused the president of trying to destroy U.S. alliances over an island
05:31America already has access to, calling the move insane. Other lawmakers warned tariffs and threats are
05:39isolating the U.S. Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said European troops arriving in Greenland to deter
05:46U.S. pressure should be a wake-up call. He warned Trump's actions are damaging America's reputation and
05:53making the country less safe by alienating its closest allies. What began as an aggressive push for
06:01Greenland has now evolved into a test of America's global leadership. With allies united against him,
06:08and critics growing louder at home, Trump's tariff gambit risks reshaping alliances, trade,
06:15and trust, with consequences far beyond the Arctic.
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