Denmark and Greenland leaders oppose Trump’s Greenland takeover proposal ahead of key meeting

Denmark, Greenland leaders stand united against Trump’s Greenland takeover proposal.

Copenhagen/Washington: The leaders of Denmark and Greenland on Tuesday delivered a united front against US President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the United States to acquire Greenland, ahead of key diplomatic meetings in Washington.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasized that Greenland is an integral part of Denmark and protected under NATO, warning that any US attempt to force a takeover or secession could undermine the transatlantic alliance.

“Dear Greenlanders, you should know that we stand together today, we will do so tomorrow, and we will continue to do so,” Frederiksen said during a joint press conference. Nielsen added, “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”

The statement comes amid heightened tensions as Trump has repeatedly suggested the US might pursue Greenland militarily or through a deal, citing concerns that Russia or China could gain influence over the Arctic island. Danish officials have reiterated that Greenland is not for sale, though they remain open to expanding US military cooperation on the territory.

Greenlanders express concern

Greenlandic officials have voiced alarm over the US proposal. Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business and mineral resources, said, “People are not sleeping, children are afraid. We can’t really understand it.” She emphasized that Greenlanders should have a say in their own future, calling the prospect of a US takeover “unfathomable.”

Since 1945, the American military presence in Greenland has been limited to the Pituffik Space Base in the northwest, supporting missile warning, defense, and space surveillance. Denmark’s parliament last year expanded US access to military bases on Danish soil, but Greenland remains firmly under Danish sovereignty.

Diplomatic efforts underway

Ahead of White House meetings between US officials and Denmark’s and Greenland’s foreign ministers, a bipartisan US congressional delegation is scheduled to visit Copenhagen later this week.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he would not intervene in the dispute, emphasizing the alliance’s focus on Arctic security. Danish officials also stressed that Denmark remains a faithful ally to the US, citing support in a recent maritime interception in the Atlantic.