Several European countries expressed strong support on Monday for Denmark and Greenland, rejecting any suggestion that the island nation’s future could be decided by outside powers and stressing respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity following remarks by US President Donald Trump.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to take control of Greenland, an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark, and has not ruled out doing so with military force.
A day after a US military raid in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump on Sunday renewed his call for an American takeover of Greenland for the sake of US security interests. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged Trump to “stop the threats.”
Nordic and Baltic leaders were among the first to respond.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on X that “it is only Denmark and Greenland that have the right to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” adding that Sweden “fully stands behind” Denmark.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Norway stands “fully and completely” behind Denmark, while Finnish President Alexander Stubb said "no one decides for Greenland and Denmark but Greenland and Denmark themselves."
Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir conveyed a similar message, saying “nothing about Greenland without Greenland.”
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics on X described Denmark as a "strong democracy" and "trusted" NATO ally, noting "Greenland is an integral part of (the) Kingdom of Denmark. Understanding legitimate security needs of (the) US, I believe those can be addressed in a direct dialogue between Denmark and (the) US, and within the collective defense framework."
Meanwhile, Estonian lawmaker Marko Mihkelson, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Estonian Parliament, said only Greenland and Denmark can decide their future and security.
Germany also issued a warning, with deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille saying that Greenland belongs to Denmark and borders "must not be moved by force."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity “non-negotiable” while pledging solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Greenland’s future must be decided solely by Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, stressing Denmark’s role as a close European and NATO ally.
The European Union also reiterated its support. European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters that the bloc would continue to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity, while another spokesperson, Paula Pinho, underlined that Greenland is a NATO ally and not comparable to other recent US actions abroad.
"That is a big, big difference. So we therefore completely stand by Greenland, and in no way do we see a possible comparison with what happened," she said, referring to recent US military action in Venezuela.
France expressed solidarity as well, with foreign ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux saying "there can be no change of borders by force."
In a post on X, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said "threats and annexation fantasies” toward Greenland were "unacceptable," stressing "full solidarity" with its people.
Senior Trump aide says no country would fight US over Greenland’s future
Meanwhile, a senior aide to Trump said on Monday that no country would militarily challenge the United States over the future of Greenland.
Stephen Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff, made the comments during an interview with CNN, where he dismissed the idea that US interest in Greenland would lead to armed conflict.
When asked directly whether military action against Greenland was off the table, Miller reframed the issue, arguing that the question was not about confronting Greenland itself.
"It wouldn’t be military action against Greenland. Greenland has a population of 30,000 people. 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?" he said.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally of the US. Miller questioned that arrangement while emphasising Greenland’s strategic value to US and NATO security interests in the Arctic.
"The United States is the power of NATO. For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States, and so that's a conversation that we're going to have as a country," he said.
Pressed again on whether he could rule out the use of US military force to seize Greenland, Miller declined to frame the issue in military terms, asserting that armed conflict was unrealistic.
"The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. There's no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you're asking, of a military operation. Nobody's going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland," he said.
