Trump posts map targeting Greenland as EU reaffirms sovereignty stance

US President Donald Trump has renewed his push to acquire Greenland, posting an edited photo on Truth Social that showed him presenting European leaders with a map of Canada and Greenland overlaid with American flags. The image reiterated his longstanding ambition to absorb the semi-autonomous Danish territory for “national security purposes.” It also expanded his territorial targets to include Venezuela on the same map.

The post drew immediate pushback from European Union members, who warned that any attempt to undermine Greenland’s sovereignty violates international law. For European investors and businesses, the sudden revival of this rhetoric resurrects the threat of direct economic coercion from the United States. In January, Trump explicitly tied his Greenland ambitions to trade policy, threatening a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from Denmark and other NATO allies. He stated these levies would remain until a deal for the "complete and total purchase of Greenland" was reached.

Those January tariffs were ultimately paused after Trump claimed to have formed the framework of a future agreement with NATO chief Mark Rutte. Despite this de-escalation, the resurfacing of the territorial issue creates fresh uncertainty for European markets. Greenland holds significant strategic and economic value, particularly for its rare earth minerals and potential Arctic shipping lanes. Denmark remains a critical commercial partner within the bloc, meaning any future tariff action would immediately pressure European exporters and supply chains.

The ongoing tensions have galvanized political leaders on the continent. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos at the height of the January tariff threats, warned of the systemic risks to the global economy. “If great powers abandon even the pretense of rules and values for the unhindered pursuit of their power and interests, the gains from transactionalism will become harder to replicate,” Carney said in a speech that received a standing ovation.

Trump’s latest post fits a broader pattern of using maps and trade threats to pressure neighbouring regions. He has repeatedly threatened to seize the Panama Canal, calling it a “vital national asset for the United States,” and recently suggested making Venezuela the 51st US state. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has stated his country’s sovereignty is “non-negotiable.” Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has similarly pushed back, insisting her nation is “not a colony, but a free country.”