Denmark and Greenland on Sunday, December 4, urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stop making statements about taking over Greenland after he reiterated his interest in the territory during an interview with The Atlantic.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen firmly rejected the remarks, stressing that the United States has no legal or moral right to annex Greenland or any part of the Danish Kingdom.
“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the U.S. needing to take over Greenland. The United States has no right to annex any of the three countries within the Danish Realm,” Frederiksen said in a statement.
Trump, however, defended his position, telling the magazine: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense.”
His comments came just a day after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Washington declared it would oversee the country’s administration — a development that raised alarm in Denmark over possible parallels with Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory.
“I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop issuing threats against a historically close ally and against another country and its people, who have made it very clear that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen added.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, also condemned Trump’s remarks, describing them as inaccurate and offensive.
“When the President of the United States says ‘we need Greenland’ and links us to Venezuela and military intervention, it is not only wrong — it is disrespectful,” Nielsen said.
Greenland has recently become a renewed focus of U.S. attention following Trump’s decision on December 21 to appoint Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to the island, a move criticised by both Danish and Greenlandic officials. Trump has repeatedly expressed support for Greenland becoming part of the United States — an idea Landry has publicly endorsed.
The Arctic island’s strategic position between Europe and North America makes it vital to U.S. ballistic missile defence systems, while its vast mineral resources have attracted interest as Washington seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains.
Although Greenland gained the right to declare independence under a 2009 agreement, it remains economically dependent on Denmark. In recent months, Copenhagen has worked to mend strained relations with Greenland while also easing tensions with the Trump administration by boosting investment in Arctic defence.
