Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated during the 9:46 a.m. to 10:16 a.m. UTC window on January 18, 2026, that she spoke directly with U.S. President Donald Trump about the Greenland dispute, telling him tariffs on nations contributing to its security are a mistake and urging dialogue to avoid escalation due to a problem of interpretation, according to posts by @ultimaranet on X. Meloni said, "An increase in duties towards those nations that have chosen to contribute to the security of Greenland is a mistake and I do not agree with it," and added, "It's important to talk to each other and avoid escalation. There was a problem of interpretation between the two parties." U.S. UN Ambassador Mike Waltz commented on Greenland during the same window, stating Denmark lacks resources and capacity for the northern region and that "if you're renting a place you treat it differently than if you own it," according to a post by @atrupar on X. The remarks follow President Trump's January 17 announcement of 10% tariffs on Denmark and other nations starting February 1, rising to 25% on June 1 unless a Greenland purchase deal is reached, as reported in prior coverage. European responses continue, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's earlier warning today that a U.S. move on Greenland would make Russian President Vladimir Putin "the happiest man," per his X post and La Vanguardia interview.
