Trump Targets Greenland, EU Threatens Tariffs on U.S. Allies
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
Tensions are escalating between the United States and Europe after President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on eight European allies that oppose his push to take over Greenland, the semiautonomous territory of Denmark. On Sunday, Trump sent a text message to Norway’s prime minister, writing, quote, “Considering your Contry decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.” Trump went on to wriet, “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland,” unquote. Earlier today,president Trump posted a mock image of himself alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting an American flag on Greenland.
Over the weekend, thousands took part in protests in Greenland and Denmark, many wearing red MAGA hats — as in “Make America Go Away.” European leaders denounced Trump’s threats and are weighing cutting off U.S. companies to the EU market — a move known as the EU’s trade bazooka.
For more, we go to Copenhagen, where we’re joined by Julie Rademacher. She’s the chair of an organization for Greenlanders in Denmark that was among the main organizers of the protests for unity and support for Greenland this weekend across cities in Greenland and Denmark. It’s called [Uagut].
We thank you so much for being with us. Can you respond to President Trump saying he will militarily take Greenland?
JULIE RADEMACHER: Well, I have a message also for the American peopel and for all of you in the U.S. We have for several years had a very good cooperation. We’ve seen you as the protectors, also in greenland and also in Denmark. But now you are our threat. Your president is going to do something very bad for Greenlanders and are threatening us with annexing our country. So, I have a very clear message for you, that you are better than Donald, and you also can do better than Donald.
I think it’s very crucial that we gain trust again, both through our political systems and diplomatic systems, but also between the American people and the Greenlanders and Danes, because right now this attack on Greenland is not just about a territory. It’s about sovereignty, the right for sovereignty, and it’s really damaging the great, great cooperation we have had for so many years between the U.S., Greenland and also Denmark and Europe.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And could you talk about your assessment of how the European Union and the other countries of Europe are responding to the threats of Donald Trump?
JULIE RADEMACHER: I can say that as a Greenlander, for the last week, it’s been terrorizing to hear your American president again and again threatening our countrymen, our fellow citizens in Greenland. They have anxiety attacks. They can’t sleep. They have nightmares. And people, they consider whether or not they should flee from Greenland. It’s a very, very serious situation, not only on a political level or military level, but on a civil level. This is human beings being hurt. They have never done anything wrong.
And right now it’s very critically important for us to get support from the rest of the world. So, we get support from Europe, and it means a lot that 56,000 people in Greenland and