Stop the threats, you have no right to Greenland – Danish PM to Trump

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned US President Donald Trump to stop making threats about taking over Greenland, insisting Washington has no legal or moral claim to the territory.

In a strongly worded statement, Frederiksen rejected renewed suggestions that the United States could annex Greenland, describing such talk as baseless and unacceptable.

“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland,” she said, stressing that “the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom.”

Her remarks followed a social media post by Katie Miller, wife of Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, who shared an image of Greenland coloured like the American flag with the caption “SOON,” a post that drew swift reactions in Copenhagen.

Frederiksen said she was addressing the United States “very directly,” emphasising that Denmark and Greenland are protected under NATO’s collective security arrangements.

She noted that Denmark already maintains a defence agreement with Washington that grants the US access to Greenland, while Copenhagen has also increased its own security investments in the Arctic.

“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,” she stated.

Trump, however, repeated his position hours later while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he said, doubling down on claims he has made repeatedly in recent years.

Earlier, Denmark’s ambassador to the United States responded to Katie Miller’s post with what was described as a “friendly reminder” that both countries are allies, adding that Denmark expects respect for its territorial integrity.

The exchange comes amid heightened scrutiny of US foreign policy following a dramatic military operation against Venezuela over the weekend, during which US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and transferred them to New York.

Trump later claimed the United States would “run” Venezuela and said American oil companies would “start making money for the country.”

Trump has previously refused to rule out the use of force to gain control of Greenland, citing its strategic Arctic location and its reserves of minerals critical to advanced technologies. His administration’s decision to appoint a special envoy to Greenland had already angered Danish officials.

Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has enjoyed extensive self-government since 1979, though defence and foreign policy remain under Danish authority.

While many Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, opinion polls consistently show overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the United States.