US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne after France refused to join his ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, even as he rejected an invitation from his counterpart Emmanuel Macron to attend talks on Greenland control in Paris, escalating tensions between the US and European nations.
What was Trump’s tariff threats to France?
Trump, in his usual style, announced on his social media platform Truth Social: “I’ll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join.” He also shared a private message sent by Macron on the talks regarding Greenland to be hosted by Macron in Paris.
This targeting of France and Macron by Trump came about after Paris mocked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remarks on why the US President was bent on controlling Greenland, which is administered by Denmark, and the Arctic region, citing threats to American security from Russia and China.
What had Macron shared with Trump in his private message?
In his private message, Macron had informed Trump that the two leaders agreed on matters regarding Iran and Syria, but he did could not “understand” what the US President was doing to Europe on the Greenland control issue.
Macron also offered to take Trump out for dinner on Thursday (January 22, 2026) and to meet with Trump and other G7 leaders on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum progressing in Davos, Switzerland, noting that he would also request the Ukrainian, Danish, Syrian, and Russian leaders to join the talks.
What triggered these uncharitable exchange of words?
Media reports earlier had claimed that Macron “doesn’t intend to answer favourably” to Trump’s invite to join the ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza. Citing sources close to Macron, the reports said France viewed the Board’s charter as going “beyond the sole framework of Gaza.”
Meanwhile, France mocked the US over Trump’s Greenland claims, in a post on X by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs handle. In response to Bessent’s justification over Trump’s move on the Arctic island, calling it deliberately causing harm to prevent a hypothetical future crisis.
“If there were a fire someday, firefighters would intervene — so better burn the house now,” the French ministry’s X post read. “If a shark might attack someday, intervention would follow — o better eat the lifeguard now,” and “If there were a crash someday, damage would occur — so better ram the car now.”
How did Bessent defence Trump’s move on Greenland?
Bessent had defended Trump’s move, saying the 79-year-old president was focused on future threats from Russia in the Arctic region. “Down the road, this fight for the Arctic is real… We would keep our Nato guarantees. And if there were an attack on Greenland from Russia, from some other area, we would get dragged in,” the US official had said.
What was France’s response to Trump’s tariff threats?
In response to Trump’s threats to impose 200 per cent tariffs on French wine and champagne, the unnamed source close to Macron said on Tuesday (January 20, 2026): “Tariff threats to influence our foreign policy are unacceptable and ineffective.”
What is Macron’s Paris meeting on Greenland?
Meanwhile, Macron called for an emergecy meeting of European leaders in Paris this week to address the US threat to take control of Greenland and to impose tariffs if his demand was not met.
In response to Macron’s invite to the Paris meeting, Trump told reporters that he would not attend the meeting, in part because the French President would not be leading his country for much longer.
Trump was addressing a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday (January 20) to mark the first year of his second term as US President.