As US President Donald Trump reiterates interest in Greenland following the Venezuela intervention, Denmark's Mette Frederiksen demands an end to threats, gaining support from Sweden's Ulf Kristersson, Greenland's Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and reports of UK outreach, amid emphasis on NATO protections.
The controversy over US interest in Greenland escalated after the recent US military intervention in Venezuela, where President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured. On Saturday, Katie Miller—wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller—posted an image on X overlaying the US flag on Greenland with the caption 'Soon.' Trump echoed this in a Sunday interview with The Atlantic, stating, 'We absolutely need Greenland. We need it for our defense,' citing nearby Russian and Chinese ships and not ruling out further interventions.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen swiftly condemned the rhetoric in a TV2 interview, saying, 'There is absolutely no sense in talking about it being necessary for the US to take over Greenland,' and urging the US to stop threatening a NATO ally. She stressed, 'The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the realm'—Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands—which are covered by NATO guarantees. Denmark had previously summoned the US envoy and issued statements on territorial integrity.
Greenland's government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen called Miller's post 'disrespectful,' affirming, 'Our country is not for sale.' Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson voiced support on X: 'It is only Denmark and Greenland that have the right to decide... Sweden fully stands by our neighboring country.' Former Danish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt remarked on SVT that White House plans for takeover exist but are 'easier said than done.' Danish media also reported UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer contacting Frederiksen to discuss a united front against Trump.
Trump's interest dates back to his first term, with recent moves like appointing a special envoy to Greenland raising European concerns.
