Tillis, Murkowski Warn Trump’s Greenland-Linked Tariffs Will Harm U.S. and Fracture NATO

Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) sharply criticized President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs tied to the administration’s interest in Greenland, warning the measures will harm U.S. businesses and risk fracturing NATO.

Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and allied European countries effective Feb. 1, with the levies scheduled to rise to 25 percent on June 1 unless a deal is reached related to Greenland. The administration framed the move as leverage tied to long-running U.S. strategic interest in the Arctic.

Lawmakers Say Tariffs Undermine Alliances

Tillis called the tariff response to allied troop movements for training in Greenland “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies,” adding that it benefits adversaries such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping by creating divisions within NATO.

“The fact that a small handful of 'advisors' are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid,” Tillis wrote on X. “It hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all the work he has done to strengthen the NATO alliance over the years.”

Murkowski described the tariffs as “unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake.” She warned the duties will drive core European allies further away without advancing U.S. national security and urged Congress to prevent trade measures from being weaponized against allies.

“We are already seeing the consequences of these measures in real time: our NATO allies are being forced to divert attention and resources to Greenland,” Murkowski wrote on X. “That dynamic plays directly into Putin’s hands by threatening the stability of the strongest coalition of democracies the world has ever seen.”

Bipartisan Delegation Seeks Cooperation, Not Conquest

Tillis, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) — co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group — and Murkowski traveled to Copenhagen to meet Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, joined by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), and Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.).

In a joint statement, Shaheen and Tillis said Danish and Greenlandic officials made clear they want to partner with the United States on Arctic security, critical minerals and other shared priorities under longstanding treaties. The senators emphasized there is no appetite in Denmark or Greenland for a costly acquisition or a hostile military takeover.

“When we reconvene with our Senate colleagues, we will convey the perspectives shared by Danish and Greenlandic officials, as well as from the indigenous people who live the realities of Greenland every day,” the senators said.

Regional Responses And Concerns

On his Truth Social account, the president framed the tariffs as correcting a long-standing trade imbalance and said the levies would remain “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

At the White House this week, Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen discussed the island’s future with senior U.S. officials. Rasmussen said there remains a “fundamental disagreement” with the U.S. over Greenland and rejected the notion that security in the Arctic requires U.S. conquest.

Denmark has increased its military presence in the region, and other European countries including France and Sweden have sent personnel for joint exercises. Polling indicates strong public opposition in the U.S. to any military action to seize Greenland, and some Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), warned such a move would damage NATO ties and the president’s legacy.

The debate highlights tensions between short-term political leverage and long-term alliance management as the U.S. and European partners navigate strategic competition in the Arctic with Russia and China.