AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
President Trump is stepping up his pressure campaign to acquire Greenland, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark. He said yesterday he was imposing new tariffs on eight countries, including Denmark, until they get on board with his plan. That ultimatum came as a congressional delegation was wrapping up a visit with top officials in Copenhagen. NPR congressional correspondent Barbara Sprunt traveled to the Danish capital to cover the trip and joins us now. Good morning, Barbara.
BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE: Hi, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So this was a bipartisan delegation, right?
SPRUNT: That's right. About a dozen people, mostly Democrats and Republicans - Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, two senators who've criticized some of the actions of the Trump administration in the past. And this whole group's purpose was to lower the temperature.
RASCOE: But that can't have been easy with the president so vocal in the background.
SPRUNT: I think that's fair to say. I think this is a really delicate job that they had to do. You know, trips like these show another function of the role that lawmakers can play. We think of them in the capital and back home in their districts, but they can play a role on the global stage as well.
RASCOE: So what did they do on this trip?
SPRUNT: Well, they met with the Danish prime minister, top officials from Greenland and Denmark. And they also spoke with Danish business leaders because just like there's foreign policy implications here, there's also economic ones as well. I spoke with New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat.
JEANNE SHAHEEN: Our hope was that it would help to deescalate the situation and also to be very clear to the Danes how much in America we appreciate what they've done. We appreciate this relationship, and we want it to continue.
SPRUNT: She pointed to a long history of relations between the two countries. Danish soldiers fought and died alongside Americans in Afghanistan, for example. And she expressed the deep concern that the people of Greenland and Denmark feel.
SHAHEEN: This is not just rhetoric. These are not just President Trump sounding off. It has real ramifications for people here who feel betrayed by America.
RASCOE: What did politicians from Greenland and Denmark have to say?
SPRUNT: Well, they said that they were glad that the delegation came. They said that the dialogue was fruitful. They wanted to continue. Here's Pipaluk Lynge, a politician from Greenland.
PIPALUK LYNGE: A dialogue through social media won't come to a better ending. So dialogue face-to-face is really important. Also that they have to hear it from the Greenlandic people themselves.
SPRUNT: And what strikes me, Ayesha, from her comments there is her tone. You know, she was very measured. She talked about compromise while still highlighting this fear and uncertainty that people back home are feeling.
RASCOE: The U.S. already has a military presence in Greenland, but Trump is clearly pushing for so much more. What's the level of concern?
SPRUNT: Yeah. I cannot overstate how worried people are here. The Danish prime minister has already said that if the U.S. attacks another NATO country, then the security that was established since the end of World War II will stop. That is a major concern that could reshape alliances across the world. And that is not what they want to see happen. You know, they've repeatedly talked about their willingness to work alongside the United States to strengthen Arctic security. But that's different from what President Trump has been talking about. You know, he's been saying that China and Russia are encircling Greenland, but lawmakers this weekend said they have not received any intelligence indicating that that is a threat.
RASCOE: So I know you spent a lot of time with lawmakers, but did you get to talk to regular people who live in Denmark and Greenland?
SPRUNT: I did. In fact, there was a massive demonstration yesterday, thousands of people marching from the city hall to the U.S. embassy protesting against President Trump.
NAJA MATHILDE ROSING: Just because you are the United States, don't think that you can just buy anything.
SPRUNT: That's Naja Mathilde Rosing. She's Greenlandic.
ROSING: This so wrong, disrespectful to think that you can purchase a country and a people, and I - I'm just shocked.
SPRUNT: The protesters I spoke with said that they don't think most Americans support Trump's plan, but they want them to be more vocal. They want them to stand up and defend their allies, and that's a view shared by many European leaders. They've vowed a firm response to the new tariffs announced by President Trump with an emergency EU meeting expected later today.
RASCOE: That's NPR's Barbara Sprunt in Copenhagen. Thank you so much for joining us.
SPRUNT: Thank you, Ayesha. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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