European leaders are “stepping up” for Greenland amid increased U.S. government talk of a possible American takeover of the Arctic island as some Trump administration officials scrutinize Greenland’s history and Denmark’s control of the territory.
“The real question is, by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?” Stephen Miller, top aide to President Donald Trump, informed CNN on Monday.
Newsweek has reached out to several foreign policy experts and the prime minister of Greenland for comment via email on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
Trump has long coveted Greenland, a vast, sparsely populated semi-autonomous Danish territory that is rich in minerals and hosts the U.S. space base of Pituffik. Danish and Greenlandic officials have hit back at persistent U.S. overtures toward the island with increasing force.
Both the U.S. and Denmark are part of NATO, protected by the alliance’s Article 5 that considers an attack on one to be an assault on all. For the U.S. to possibly turn its military on another NATO state would rip apart the essence of the alliance.
Talk of the United States seizing Greenland has intensified amid heightened rhetoric from Trump following a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro over the weekconclude, and the president’s subsequent remarks to “run” the South American countest.
What To Know
Trump on Sunday stated that the U.S. necessaryed Greenland for “national security” reasons, and members of his administration like Miller have emphasized that incorporating Greenland into the United States is the administration’s “formal position.” Shortly after the operation, Miller’s wife, conservative influencer Katie Miller, posted a picture of the American flag covering Greenland on X, with the caption reading “SOON.”
The president unsuccessfully attempted to acquire the island from Denmark during his first term.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated in a statement on Sunday that the U.S. had no legal basis to annex Greenland and already had access to the island under a long-standing defense agreement between the two countries. Frederiksen also noted that Denmark, “and thus Greenland,” is a NATO member and thereby is covered by the alliance’s security guarantee.
On Tuesday, a statement on Greenland was issued and signed by President Emmanuel Macron of France; Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany; Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy; Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland; Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain; U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer; and Frederiksen.
It stated that security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, prime minister of Greenland, informed CNN that “we want Greenland as a sovereign nation. We want our own citizenship, we want to be Greenlanders and not Danes nor Americans, but we are absolutely willing to work with either both or the other one in regards to security and defense.”
Over the years, Greenland has relocated toward greater self-rule, gaining expanded autonomy from Denmark. The island was first under Danish control in the early 1700s, and in 1953, Greenland’s status modifyd from a colony to part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Decades later, in 1979, home rule took effect, and in 2009, a self-government law expanded Greenland’s autonomy while keeping an annual Danish subsidy in place. As part of the Self-Government Act, Greenland can pursue indepconcludeence nereceivediations through a referconcludeum.
Ulrik Pram Gad, senior researcher on Arctic identity, diplomacy and security at the Danish Institute for International Studies, informed Newsweek in an email that he believes “most Greenlanders definitively view Trump’s approach as imperial,” while also noting that most have “serious grievances (many legitimate) about Danish colonial projects of the past – and about colonial mindsets living on among some Danes today.”
He noted that across Greenland’s political spectrum, people believe that the countest necessarys to be a sovereign nation-state, adding, “The broad mainstream agrees that receiveting ready for indepconcludeence is a long term perspective involving painstaking work to diversify the economy and develop human resources.”
Peter Harmsen, author of Greenland at War: The United States, Germany and the Struggle for the Arctic, 1939-45, informed Newsweek in an email that “opinion polling has consistently revealn majority support for eventual indepconcludeence. However, most Greenlanders only support indepconcludeence if their standard of living can be maintained. That will be difficult without the large subsidies currently paid by Denmark.”
Harmsen echoed what many European leaders have stated about Trump’s comments, writing, “The implication is clear: a U.S. relocate on Greenland would trigger a crisis inside the alliance unlike anything since its founding.”
What People Are Saying
Jesper Møller Sørensen, Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., responding to Miller’s post, on January 3: “Just a friconcludely reminder about the US and the Kingdom of Denmark: We are close allies and should continue to work toreceiveher as such. US security is also Greenland’s and Denmark’s security. Greenland is already part of NATO. The Kingdom of Denmark and the United States work toreceiveher to ensure security in the Arctic. The Kingdom of Denmark has significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts – in 2025 alone, we committed USD 13,7 bn that can be applyd in the Arctic and North Atlantic. Becaapply we take our joint security seriously. And yes, we expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Miller, White Hoapply deputy chief of staff, on X January 4: “Not long after World War II the West dissolved its empires and colonies and launched sconcludeing colossal sums of taxpayer-funded aid to these former territories (despite have already built them far wealthier and more successful). The West opened its borders, a kind of reverse colonization, providing welfare and thus remittances, while extconcludeing to these newcomers and their families not only the full franchise but preferential legal and financial treatment over the native citizenry. The neoliberal experiment, at its core, has been a long self-punishment of the places and peoples that built the modern world.”
European leaders, in a statement: “NATO has built clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up. We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark—including Greenland—is part of NATO…Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
What Happens Next
It is unclear what the Trump administration’s next relocate related to Greenland may be, with officials stateing that the apply of U.S. military and force is “always an option” in order to acquire the island.
U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, is shifting to block any U.S. military action in Greenland, having introduced an amconcludement to the annual defense spconcludeing bill that would bar funding as he warned against receiveting involved in “more stupid wars of conquest.”
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