U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday, January 20, urged European countries to refrain from retaliatory tariffs, days after President Donald Trump threatened several allies with additional import taxes over their criticism of his push to assert control over Greenland.
Speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Bessent said European leaders should “sit back and take a deep breath.” “Do not retaliate,” he stressed, repeating the line twice. According to the treasury secretary, Trump is set to arrive at the summit on Wednesday and hold meetings with NATO officials and European allies to “get his message across.” He urged partners to approach these contacts “with an open mind,” asking why the response so quickly defaults to “this is impossible.”
Bessent struck a similar note in an interview with CNBC, again urging officials to “take a deep breath” and “not escalate.” “President Trump has a strategy,” he said, adding: “Hear him out—and everything will be fine.”
Last week, the president announced that starting February 1, a 10 percent tariff would be imposed on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. If no agreement providing for the transfer of control over Greenland to the United States is reached by June 1, the rate will rise to 25 percent.
Earlier, these countries backed Greenland amid Trump’s continuing interest in acquiring the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Days before the tariff threats were announced, several European states deployed troops to the Arctic island for joint exercises led by Denmark. Copenhagen also stepped up its own military presence. Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, warned earlier this month that a U.S. attack on Greenland would spell the end of the NATO alliance.
Still, Trump continues to insist that acquiring Greenland is necessary for U.S. national security. “These countries, playing an extremely dangerous game, have created a level of risk that is unacceptable and unsustainable,” he wrote on Saturday on Truth Social. According to him, “to protect global peace and security, tough measures must be taken so that this potentially dangerous situation is brought to a swift and unconditional end.”
Danish authorities responded late Saturday to the tariffs, saying they had no intention of “backing down” in the face of the Trump administration. “Trump must not be allowed to divide us,” parliamentarian Pelle Dragsted wrote on the social network X. “The EU must respond with a united front and strike hard. Hit the tech oligarchs in Trump’s inner circle. Enough.”