Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered a grave warning on Monday, stating that any US military action to seize Greenland would effectively end eight decades of transatlantic security cooperation. The unprecedented statement came after President Donald Trump reiterated his intention to annex the mineral-rich Arctic territory, raising alarm bells across Europe about the future of NATO and Western unity.
The controversy has intensified following Washington’s recent military intervention in Venezuela, which has amplified concerns about Trump’s territorial ambitions in Greenland. The autonomous Danish territory holds significant strategic value due to its untapped rare earth deposits and its increasingly important position as Arctic ice melts, opening new shipping routes. Trump justified his interest by claiming the US needs Greenland for national security purposes, suggesting Denmark cannot adequately protect the territory.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded forcefully to Trump’s pressure campaign, using social media to tell the US president that enough is enough. Nielsen rejected what he called “insinuations” and “fantasies of annexation,” while emphasizing that Greenland remains open to dialogue through proper diplomatic channels and in accordance with international law. Despite his firm stance, Nielsen later urged calm and expressed hope for restoring cooperative relations with Washington.
The strategic importance of Greenland cannot be overstated. The territory sits on the shortest missile route between Russia and the United States, and Washington already maintains a military base there. Trump has claimed that Russian and Chinese vessels are constantly present near Greenland’s coast, though this assertion has been disputed by Greenlandic representatives in the Danish parliament. China’s foreign ministry responded by accusing the US of fabricating threats to justify territorial ambitions.
European leaders rallied behind Denmark in an unprecedented show of solidarity. The European Union, Britain, France, Finland, Sweden, and Norway all issued statements supporting Denmark’s territorial integrity and emphasizing that only Greenland and Denmark can decide the territory’s future. The crisis deepened after Katie Miller, wife of influential Trump adviser Stephen Miller, posted an image of Greenland draped in American flag colors with the caption “SOON,” which Nielsen condemned as disrespectful.