By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump escalated tensions with European allies on Tuesday by posting an image on his social media platform, Truth Social, depicting Greenland — an autonomous Danish territory — as “US TERRITORY EST. 2026.”

The post, featuring Trump alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio holding an American flag, underscored his repeated calls for the United States to acquire Greenland for strategic and Arctic security reasons.

Trump’s move comes amid a broader standoff over Greenland, which he has sought to control to counter rivals including China and Russia. Both Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected any proposal to sell the territory, and Trump has threatened steep tariffs on European nations opposing US ambitions. The proposal and associated threats have drawn widespread criticism across Europe.

Adding to the diplomatic friction, Trump shared screenshots of messages he claims were sent by French President Emmanuel Macron, questioning his Greenland plans and inviting him for a G7 dinner in Paris on Thursday.

According to the posts, Macron wrote: “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things,” and suggested including the Ukrainians, Danes, Syrians, and Russians at the margins of the meeting.

Trump, while responding to a reporter question that that Macron rejected his invitation to join Gaza Peace Board andindicating he would not join the international Board of Peace aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict, responding while threatening to impose a 200 percent tariff on French wines and champagnes while also questioning Macron’s relevance. “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon. I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join,” Trump said.

The French leader has reportedly declined the invitation over concerns that the US-led initiative could bypass the UN framework and overreach its mandate in Gaza. Last week, the White House announced the creation of a board and multiple committees under Trump’s plan to end the Gaza conflict and oversee post-conflict reconstruction, a move that has drawn scrutiny from European allies.

The Greenland controversy, combined with Trump’s aggressive diplomacy toward France and other EU members, signals a growing rift between Washington and traditional European partners, raising questions about future cooperation on Arctic security, trade, and Middle East initiatives.