Overview
- President Donald Trump restated that the United States “needs” Greenland for defense in an interview with The Atlantic and on Air Force One, citing Russian and Chinese ships and saying the U.S. would “worry about Greenland in about two months.”
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formally urged Washington to stop the threats, insisting the United States has no right to annex any part of the Danish Kingdom and noting Greenland is covered by NATO’s security guarantee.
- Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the rhetoric and a high-profile social media image “disrespectful,” said the island is not for sale, and told Trump “that’s enough now” while urging dialogue grounded in international law.
- European backing quickly followed, with figures including Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and EU officials affirming that only Denmark and Greenland can decide the territory’s future and warning that borders cannot be changed by force.
- Fears intensified after the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela’s president and a post by Katie Miller showing Greenland draped in the U.S. flag marked “SOON,” while Trump’s appointment of Jeff Landry as special envoy underscored continued U.S. interest in bringing the island under American control.