Concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on eight European countries as part of his push to "take over" Greenland appear to be growing in France, with some Paris residents saying he is acting like a bully in pursuit of an extremely aggressive policy.
"What worries me? In broader terms, it's the geopolitical situation. Trump is undermining alliances on a global scale. Threatening a member of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) alliance makes no sense at all. An alliance where allies turn against each other -- it's completely illogical. In any case, his overall behavior is that of a bully," Patrick, a Paris resident, told China Global Television Network (CGTN).
"Yes, very concerned. But this isn't just about Greenland... It's about his entire, extremely aggressive policy. Aggressive, absolutely. So, No. They absolutely should not set foot there," echoed another Paris resident Pascal.
"Frankly, I find it quite worrying to see the leader of the world's leading power completely out of control. Look at what happened in Venezuela and now with Greenland -- it's pretty shocking to see this coming from the president of a country that was once a major driving force and a founder behind the United Nation and international diplomacy," Maxime told CGTN.
Greenland, the world's largest island, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining control over defense and foreign policy. The United States maintains a military base on the island. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to "obtain" Greenland.
Trump announced on Saturday that the United States would impose a 10-percent tariff from Feb. 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland over Greenland, and raise the levy to 25 percent from the beginning of June unless a deal is reached for the United States to "purchase" the territory.
Concerns growing in France about Trump's tariff threats over Greenland
