Thousands of Danes pack a plaza before marching to the U.S. Embassy to protest President Donald Trump's statements about buying or taking over Greenland, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Photograph: Hilary Swift/The New York Times/Redux/eyevine

Jan 20th 2026|Copenhagen|3 min read

On january 18th, after Donald Trump repeated his threat to take over Greenland and announced tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries, the mood in Copenhagen darkened. Danish television began to run round-the-clock coverage of the American president, including documentaries cut in the style of war reportage. Hours before, officials had been philosophical about the implications of Mr Trump’s obsession with the island—a semi-autonomous Danish territory—but now they wanted to emphasise that Danish politicians, and its armed forces, were prepared for a stand-off.

Signage for Mizuho Bank Ltd., a unit of Mizuho Financial Group Inc. (MHFG), at one of the bank's branches in Tokyo, Japan.

Denmark braces for Donald Trump’s Greenland tariffs