"Portuguese Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said Donald Trump's threat of tariffs over the Greenland row was not just a 'trade war' but a 'violation of sovereignty', as EU ministers arrived for Eurogroup talks in Brussels on Monday. “I believe we have to be quite strong in our response," he said. "We are not just talking about a trade war now, as we were a year ago, where the United States had a position on the need for tariffs." "Here we are talking about something completely different, which is the violation of sovereignty of a member state of the Union and, therefore, the Union's response must be a very strong one," he added. In a US media interview on Monday, Trump said he would '100%' follow through on his warning of a new 10 per cent levy on Denmark and seven other European countries; Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. He also said 'no comment' when asked if he would take Greenland by force. Earlier, Trump said the tariff would be "until a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland" - and tariffs would increase to 25 per cent in June if no deal was made. Those countries affected said on Sunday that Trump's actions "undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral", adding that their joint Greenland exercises "pose(s) no threat to anyone." Following Trump's pledge to 'take control' of the territory, NATO countries sent a handful of troops to Greenland - 15 from France, 13 from Germany and one each from the UK and Netherlands - leading to media outlets questioning and joking about the nature of the commitment. Some analysts suggested the intention was to 'reassure' the president about Arctic security, while others claimed it was to 'deter' him. The White House insisted it wouldn't change Trump's mind. Trump has insisted he needed Greenland - an autonomous Danish territory - for 'security reasons', and the ongoing row has also raised issues about Denmark's own difficult relationship and past treatment of its former colony. "