European leaders push back over Trump’s renewed Greenland interest
This aerial view shows icebergs floating in sun-beaten waters with buildings in the background off Nuuk, Greenland, on March 11, 2025, on the day of legislative elections in the autonomous Danish region of Greenland.
Strange Andersen | Afp | Getty Images
European leaders issued a joint statement on Tuesday saying security in the Arctic must be ensured collectively to prevent US President Donald Trump’s increased interest in Greenland.
“The Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland, is part of NATO,” the statement said, according to a letter. It was published X by the Danish Prime Ministry.
“Security in the Arctic must therefore be ensured collectively, together with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. These are universal principles and we will not give up defending them.”
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is up to Denmark and Greenland, and they alone, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
The letter was signed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as the leaders of Italy, Spain and Poland.
The coordinated message, which also described the United States as an “important partner” in efforts to secure the Arctic, comes as Trump once again sets his sights on the vast, mineral-rich and sparsely populated region.
The US president, who has long defended control of the self-governing Danish territory, told NBC News on Monday that he is “very serious” about his intention to buy Greenland. But Trump also said there was “no timeline” to do so.
Given that Trump’s remarks come in the wake of Washington’s major military operation in Venezuela, alarm bells are ringing in Denmark, which is responsible for the defense of Greenland.
Denmark’s Frederiksen has previously warned that an American takeover of Greenland would mean the end of the NATO military alliance.
“I believe that the president of the United States should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday, according to CNBC’s translation. he said.
“But I also want to make it clear that if the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops. This includes our NATO and therefore the security that has been provided since the end of World War II.”
Greenland’s prime minister, meanwhile, sought to downplay Trump’s rhetoric, saying the region intends to restore “good cooperation” with Washington.
“The situation is not one where the United States can easily conquer Greenland,” Greenlander Nielsen said at a press conference on Monday. he said.
