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PBS News Hour - Segments

Europe stands firm against Trump's push for Greenland as he threatens new tariffs

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 19 January 2026

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

President Trump ramped up the pressure, threatening new tariffs on NATO allies if they don't allow the U.S. to acquire Greenland. European leaders met to coordinate a response as they work to resolve the crisis sparked by Trump. Geoff Bennett discussed the developments with Charles Kupchan, the senior director for European affairs on the National Security Council during the Obama administration. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to the News Hour. President Trump turned up the temperature on Greenland and threatened new tariffs on NATO allies if they don't let the U.S. acquire Greenland.

0:10.0

European leaders met this weekend to coordinate a response, potentially including tariffs on U.S. imports, as they worked to resolve the crisis sparked by President Trump.

0:20.0

Tonight, Danish and Allied European forces are reinforcing their presence in Greenland,

0:25.6

sending additional troops as pressure mounts over the future of the Danish territory.

0:30.6

European leaders say they stand firmly with Greenland.

0:34.6

As first reported by PBS News, the president intensified his threats against Greenland,

0:40.3

suggesting that because he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, he would not feel bound

0:44.3

to pursue only peaceful means to acquire the territory.

0:48.3

In a letter to Norway's Prime Minister, Mr. Trump wrote,

0:51.3

Considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize,

0:55.0

I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace, although it will always be predominant,

1:00.0

but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.

1:05.0

The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.

1:09.0

It's an honor to represent the U.S.

1:11.6

Treasury Secretary Scott Besson today sought to de-emphasize any connection between the

1:15.6

prize and Mr. Trump's ambitions.

1:18.6

I think it's a complete canard that the President will be doing this because of a Nobel Prize.

1:22.6

The President is looking at Greenland as a strategic asset for the United States.

1:28.8

While military action remains uncertain, economic retaliation appears increasingly likely.

1:34.9

This weekend, Mr. Trump said he would impose a 10 percent tariff on eight European nations

1:39.9

over their opposition to U.S. control of Greenland.

1:43.5

Today, British Prime Minister Kier Starrmer countered that he believes there is room

...

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