US President Trump announced in a post on social media on Saturday that he will impose a 10% tariff on all goods coming from the Netherlands and seven other European countries for their support of Greenland.

Earlier this week, the Netherlands announced is sending two members of the armed forces to the Arctic Island as part of preparations for Nato exercises.

Trump has stepped up calls in the past two weeks to take over Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Danish kingdom.

“Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump said in a lengthy post on the website Truth Social.

The rate will come into effect on February 1 and rise to 25% in June if a deal is not reached for the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland,” according to Trump’s post.

All eight countries have said they will send military personnel to Greenland in recent days.

The countries are preparing for a military exercise in Greenland, led by Denmark. Dutch foreign minister Ruben Brekelmans said in a statement this week that a larger Nato deployment could be possible.

Dutch reaction

Foreign minister David van Weel said on Saturday evening that the Netherlands had “taken note” of Trump’s tariff announcement.

“Military efforts related to exercises in Greenland are intended to contribute to security in the Arctic region,” he said on social media. “The Netherlands is in close contact with the European Commission and partners on our response.”

The German government also published a similar holding statement, adding that “together we will decide on appropriate responses at the appropriate time.”