LONDON, January 18. The European Union could resort to economic sanctions, the imposition of trade tariffs, or the threat of removing American military bases from its territory in order to put pressure on the United States regarding the future of Greenland, wrote The Economist on Saturday.

According to the magazine, it would be extremely difficult for Washington to project its military power into Africa and the Middle East without access to European military bases, such as Ramstein. For example, the success of the recent seizure of oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela was directly dependent on access to resources at British military airfields. The ability of the White House to monitor and counter threats in the Arctic will require cooperation with Greenland, Iceland,

the United Kingdom, and Norway, as well as other NATO allies. The magazine notes that a confrontation with the United States is unlikely, as it would require the EU to rapidly increase military spending due to its dependence on American units and the military-industrial sector. Furthermore, a trade war would place a significant burden on EU budgets.

On January 17, Trump announced on Truth Social that the Washington administration had imposed 10% tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, and the Netherlands, which will remain in effect until agreements are reached for the "complete and final acquisition" of Greenland by the United States.

This decision will take effect on February 1, Trump added. He emphasized that, starting on June 1, the rate of these tariffs will increase to 25%. Trump also criticized Europe's intention to send its forces to Greenland, calling it a "very dangerous game." He argued that ownership of Greenland is essential for strengthening U.S. national security and for the effective deployment of the American missile defense system, Golden Dome.

TASS/gnews.cz-jav