August M
Tensions have flared between Washington and Copenhagen after Donald Trump again raised the idea of bringing Greenland under U.S. control. The comments come amid wider unease over America’s recent foreign policy moves and have drawn sharp responses from Danish and Greenlandic leaders.
The dispute has reignited fears about how far the U.S. president might go.
Trump’s remarks
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the United States needed Greenland “from the standpoint of national security”.
According to the BBC, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of annexing the semi-autonomous Danish territory, arguing that its strategic Arctic location and mineral wealth make it vital for U.S. defence and industry.
He has previously refused to rule out the use of force to secure control of the island.
Greenland pushes back
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen dismissed the idea outright, saying “that’s enough now” and calling U.S. control of the island a “fantasy”.
He said: “No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.”
Polls show most Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, but there is overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the United States.
Denmark’s response
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also rejected Trump’s comments, saying “the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom”.
She stressed that Denmark “and thus Greenland” is a Nato member and covered by the alliance’s security guarantees. Frederiksen added that a defence agreement already gives the U.S. access to Greenland, according to the BBC.
Her statement followed a social media post by Katie Miller, wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, showing Greenland coloured as the U.S. flag with the word “SOON”.
Diplomatic friction
Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S. responded to the post with what he described as a “friendly reminder” that the two countries are allies and that Denmark expects respect for its territorial integrity.
The row has been heightened by the Trump administration’s recent decision to appoint a special envoy to Greenland, a move that angered Danish officials.
Wider concerns
The renewed focus on Greenland comes days after a major U.S. military operation in Venezuela, in which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were seized and taken to New York.
Trump later said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela, fuelling concerns in Europe that Washington could pursue similar hardline approaches elsewhere.
Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has enjoyed extensive self-rule since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain controlled by Denmark.
Sources: BBC
