Trump warns of new tariffs for countries opposed to Greenland takeover

US President Donald Trump has threatened to implement tariffs on countries opposing Washington's control of Greenland as he remains resolute in taking over the Arctic island, which is a self-governing territory under the Kingdom of Denmark.

However, Denmark and Greenland are not alone in their opposition; other countries also oppose his plans, and many in the US have expressed skepticism about the acquisition.

The 11-member group included Republicans who raised objections to the president’s call for the US to acquire Greenland for national security reasons.

Trump said at Friday’s White House meeting on rural healthcare, “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security.”

Greenland is thinly populated but resource-rich; its location between North America and the Arctic makes it in a strategic position for early warning systems against missile attacks and for monitoring vessels in the region.

The US has already stationed more than 100 personnel for a longer period of time at its Pituffik Space Base-a missile monitoring station on Greenland's north-western tip that has been operated by the US since World War II.

Meanwhile, several countries including France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK have dispatched a small number of troops to Greenland in a so-called intelligence operation.

According to a Danish official who spoke to the BBC, the US vice-president proposed finding a middle ground that would satisfy Trump and Denmark in Greenland.

Additionally, the recent threats to impose tariffs on countries opposing the U.S. takeover of Greenland represent a surge in the administration’s efforts to acquire the Arctic territory.