President Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on European nations until the United States secures Greenland is bold, necessary, and long overdue in a world where rivals circle our vulnerable Arctic doorstep. The administration announced escalating duties — starting at 10 percent and rising to 25 percent if demands aren’t met — targeting several countries that have balked at American efforts to secure strategic Arctic real estate.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz made the case plainly on Fox News Live, telling Americans that we “have to secure” Greenland and defending the tariffs as a legitimate tool to protect national security. Waltz’s tough posture reflects a reality too many in the Washington consensus refuse to admit: the Arctic is no longer a backwater, it is a theater of great-power competition where Russia and China seek influence.
Let’s be honest — trade is power, and tariffs are leverage, not tantrums. For years our allies have benefited from American security while shrugging at our strategic concerns; when their choices raise flags about Russian and Chinese encroachment, Washington has a duty to use every instrument of statecraft to defend the homeland. Washington’s critics squawk about diplomacy, but diplomacy without strength is surrender dressed in polite language.
Predictably, Copenhagen and EU capitals erupted in outrage and staged protests from Nuuk to Denmark’s streets, parroting the familiar line about sovereignty and norms while ignoring the harsh truth of geopolitics. Good-faith partnerships rest on shared assessments of threats; when allies refuse to address those threats, American leaders must put national security first — not tuck tail to appease international sanctimony.
Conservatives should applaud Waltz and the president for refusing to play by the old rules that left America exposed and indebted to the good will of others. This is not about bullying friends for sport; it is about making the hard choices to protect American lives and missile defenses in a rapidly militarizing Arctic. If that makes the naysayers uncomfortable, so be it — complacency cost us influence and lives before, and we will not repeat that mistake.
Now is the moment for patriots to stand behind decisive leadership that treats national security as more than a talking point. Invest in defense, secure the Arctic, and use every lawful lever — including tariffs — to keep America safe and sovereign. The choice is simple: act now with strength, or watch rivals fill the vacuum while politicians lecture us on propriety.
