AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands’ foreign minister on Sunday said that US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose new tariffs on ​European allies until they agree to sell Greenland to the United States is “blackmail.”

“It’s blackmail what he’s doing ... and it’s not necessary. It doesn’t help the alliance (NATO) and it also doesn’t help Greenland,” David van Weel said in ‌an interview ‌on Dutch television.

In a post ‌on ⁠Truth ​Social ‌on Saturday, Trump said additional 10 percent import tariffs would take effect on February 1 on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Great Britain — countries that have agreed to contribute personnel ⁠to a NATO exercise on Greenland.

Van Weel said ‌the Greenland mission was ‍intended to show ‍the US Europe’s willingness to help defend ‍Greenland and he was opposed to Trump making a connection with diplomacy over the island and trade.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson earlier rejected Trump’s threat to European nations of swinging tariffs if they did not let him acquire Greenland.

“We won’t let ourselves be intimidated,” he said in a message sent to AFP. “Only Denmark and Greenland decide questions that concern them.

“I will always defend my country and our allied neighbors,” he added, stressing that this was “a European question.

“Sweden is currently having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom to find a joint response,” he added.