The US president states that control of the island is a matter of “national security” for Washington
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called on Washington to halt threatening a “historically close ally,” following President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Copenhagen is unable to adequately manage and safeguard the island from perceived Russian and Chinese threats.
“We definitely need Greenland. We need it for defense,” Trump told The Atlantic on Sunday, noting that it was up to others to determine the broader implications of the US military action in Venezuela.
In response, Frederiksen said “the US has no right to annex any of the three countries within the Danish Kingdom.”
“I would thus strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and its people who have clearly stated that they are not for sale,” she told the media.
Trump first proposed purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory within Denmark, in 2019, a plan quickly rejected by Copenhagen and Greenland’s authorities. Since returning to office last year, he has revived the idea, even hinting at the possible use of force.
Denmark has reacted by strengthening Arctic defenses and expanding military and civilian monitoring, viewing the pressure as a direct threat to its sovereignty.
“You know what Denmark basically did to enhance security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled,” Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One later in the day, claiming that the island is “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships” and that Copenhagen can’t handle the “threat.”
“We need Greenland from a national security perspective. And the European Union needs us to have it, and they know it,” he stated, adding, “let’s discuss Greenland in 20 days.”
Tensions over Greenland have continued to escalate in recent weeks. In December, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who has openly supported incorporating Greenland into the US, as a special envoy to the territory, prompting Copenhagen to summon the US ambassador for an explanation.
After the US launched a controversial military operation in Venezuela on Sunday, a former Trump administration official, Katie Miller, hinted in a cryptic social media post that Washington will “soon” take over Greenland.