Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly acknowledged that he may have been acting on “bad information” regarding recent European troop movements to Greenland, which were carried out in response to his repeated statements about annexing the Danish territory, according to a media report.
Trump’s admission is said to have come during a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday. During the call, Starmer reportedly criticised Trump’s decision to impose fresh tariffs on several European nations, including the United Kingdom, over their political and strategic support for Greenland. The discussion highlighted growing tensions between Washington and its European allies over both security and trade issues.
A British official, speaking to CNN on Monday, stated that the United States had been informed well in advance about the European troop deployment to Greenland. According to the official, Danish diplomats had clearly communicated the plans to US authorities before the deployment took place. Supporting this account, a Danish source confirmed that the troop movement was not only disclosed ahead of time but was also “pre-coordinated within existing European and US military frameworks,” suggesting there was no attempt to act unilaterally or in secrecy.
Despite this prior coordination and diplomatic communication, Trump went ahead and announced the imposition of a 10 per cent tariff on goods imported from several European countries. The tariffs, set to take effect from February 1, apply to Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the UK. The announcement prompted a swift and unified response from leaders across the 27-member European Union, underscoring the deepening strain in transatlantic relations.
According to four European diplomats cited in the report, the decision to send Danish and NATO troops to Greenland for joint military exercises may have had unintended consequences. While the intention was to reinforce NATO’s presence in the Arctic region, the move may have instead provoked Trump’s tariff threat. The diplomats suggested that the deployments may have been interpreted by Trump as a signal that Denmark, supported by its European partners, was asserting a stronger role in Arctic security.
Over the past week, several European countries have sent small contingents of military personnel to Greenland amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions. Denmark already has around 150 military and civilian staff stationed at its Joint Arctic Command. In addition, countries such as Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands are sending personnel primarily to prepare for larger military exercises planned later in the year.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has noted that approximately 200 US troops are already stationed in Greenland, which has a population of about 57,000 people. While authorities have not disclosed the full scale of the European military buildup, they have emphasised that the current deployments are limited in size and scope.
Germany is sending a 13-member reconnaissance team via Copenhagen, accompanied by Danish personnel. Sweden is contributing three officers, Norway two, and France approximately 15 mountain warfare specialists. The UK, the Netherlands, and Finland are each sending one or two personnel, reflecting the modest nature of the initial deployments.
In response to Trump’s tariff threats, the European Union is now considering activating its most powerful trade defence mechanism, commonly referred to as the “trade bazooka.” This mechanism, formally known as the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), is designed to protect the EU from economic pressure exerted by non-EU countries.
If invoked, the ACI would allow the EU to impose retaliatory tariffs, restrict access for American companies to the European Single Market, and block US firms from bidding on high-value EU contracts. EU leaders are scheduled to meet in Brussels on Thursday to deliberate on the possible use of the ACI, along with other countermeasures. These discussions may include a proposed tariff package targeting €93 billion worth of American imports, which could automatically come into effect on February 6 following the end of a six-month suspension period.
