European leaders push back on Trump’s comments about a US takeover of Greenland

In a swift rebuke to U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring Greenland, several European leaders have united to defend the Arctic territory’s sovereignty, declaring unequivocally that “Greenland belongs to its people.”

The joint statement, backed by leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, came Tuesday in solidarity with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen after Trump suggested the United States should take control of the strategically located island.

“It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the European leaders emphasized, reflecting growing concern about the U.S. president’s intentions toward the autonomous Danish territory.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney added his support to the alliance, announcing that Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon, who is of Inuk descent, and Foreign Minister Anita Anand would visit Greenland early next month. Standing alongside Frederiksen at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, Carney was unambiguous: “The future of Greenland and Denmark are decided solely by the people of Denmark.”

The diplomatic standoff intensified after Trump recently appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as U.S. special envoy to Greenland. Landry has indicated he plans to bypass Danish officials, telling Fox News radio on Tuesday that he isn’t interested in talking to people in Denmark who “absolutely have made their position clear” or to European diplomats. Instead, he expressed a desire to engage directly with Greenlanders.

“I want to talk to people who want an opportunity to improve the quality of life in Greenland,” Landry said, adding that he had already exchanged emails with some residents. In a lighter moment, he quipped about “culinary diplomacy,” saying Greenlanders who “like to hunt, fish, and have a good time” would fit well in Louisiana.

The White House, however, has maintained a firm position. Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, told CNN on Monday that Greenland should become part of the United States despite Frederiksen’s warning that such a move would effectively end NATO.

“The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus,” Miller stated. He went further, questioning Denmark’s territorial claims: “What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?”

Trump has justified his interest in Greenland by citing national security concerns, particularly regarding Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic. “It’s so strategic right now,” he told reporters Sunday. “Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

The controversy escalated dramatically after Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official and Stephen Miller’s wife, posted an illustrated map of Greenland in U.S. flag colors with the caption “SOON” on social media. Trump’s subsequent comment to reporters to “talk about Greenland in 20 days” heightened fears of possible U.S. intervention.

Frederiksen warned that Trump’s comments “should be taken seriously,” telling Danish broadcaster TV2: “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops. That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”

Greenland, which sits strategically off Canada’s northeastern coast with over two-thirds of its territory within the Arctic Circle, has been crucial to North American defense since World War II. The U.S. Department of Defense operates the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, established after a 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the U.S. The base supports missile warning, defense, and space surveillance operations for both the U.S. and NATO.

Beyond its military significance, Greenland guards part of the GIUK Gap—named for Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom—where NATO monitors Russian naval movements in the North Atlantic. The territory also holds substantial deposits of rare earth minerals essential for modern electronics and renewable energy technologies, as well as potential offshore oil and natural gas reserves.

U.S. Representatives Steny H. Hoyer and Blake Moore, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Denmark Caucus, issued a statement urging restraint: “Sabre-rattling about annexing Greenland is needlessly dangerous. An attack on Greenland—a crucial part of that alliance—would tragically be an attack on NATO.”

The lawmakers emphasized existing cooperation, noting that “We already have access to everything we could need from Greenland,” and that Denmark has previously permitted the U.S. to deploy more forces or build additional missile defense infrastructure there.

Greenland, historically a Danish colony for hundreds of years, became an integral part of Denmark in 1953. Under legislation passed in 2009, it gained extended self-government and recognition of its right to independence under international law—an option that polls suggest most Greenlanders support.