Denmark’s prime minister on Monday issued a direct warning to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to halt what she described as repeated threats to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Danish kingdom.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said suggestions that the United States could annex Greenland were unacceptable and legally unfounded, stressing that neither Denmark nor Greenland is for sale. Her remarks followed renewed comments by Trump asserting that Washington needs Greenland for U.S. national security.
In a statement published on the Danish government’s website, Frederiksen said she was addressing the United States “very directly,” adding that it made “absolutely no sense” to argue that Washington had any right to take over Greenland.
She emphasized that Denmark, including Greenland, is a member of NATO and therefore protected by the alliance’s collective defense guarantees. Denmark already maintains a long-standing defense agreement with the United States that provides American forces access to Greenland, she said, and Copenhagen has increased security investments in the Arctic in recent years.
“I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
Hours after Frederiksen’s statement, Trump reiterated his position while speaking aboard Air Force One, arguing that Greenland is critical to U.S. security interests.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump said, without offering details on what actions the United States might pursue.
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Trump has previously refused to rule out using force to secure control of the vast Arctic island, citing its strategic location between North America and Europe and its abundance of minerals considered critical for high-tech industries.
The latest dispute was sparked in part by a social media post from Katie Miller, the wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, who shared an image of Greenland overlaid with the colors of the American flag alongside the word “SOON.”
The post drew a swift response from Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, who issued what he called a “friendly reminder” that Denmark and the U.S. are allies and that Copenhagen expects respect for its territorial integrity.
The Danish government said the post added to growing concern in Copenhagen that rhetoric around Greenland is escalating at a sensitive geopolitical moment.
The exchange comes just days after the United States carried out a dramatic military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and transferring him to New York to face criminal charges.
Trump later said the United States would temporarily “run” Venezuela and claimed U.S. oil companies would return to operate there. The intervention has alarmed governments worldwide and heightened scrutiny of U.S. foreign policy under Trump.
