US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Nato should support Washington’s bid to acquire Greenland, asserting that anything short of American control of the Arctic territory would be “unacceptable”.
The remarks came just hours before Vice President JD Vance was scheduled to meet Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington to discuss Greenland’s future. The vast Arctic island remains a semi-autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty.
Posting on his social media platform, Trump reiterated that the United States “needs Greenland for national security” and argued that Nato should “lead the way” in securing it for Washington. He warned that failure to do so could allow Russia or China to gain influence over the island. “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” he wrote.
“NATO would become far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable,” Trump added.
Opposition in Greenland
Trump’s renewed push has drawn sharp reactions in Greenland and beyond. In Nuuk, the capital, residents told reporters they were firmly opposed to any suggestion that the island could be bought or taken over.
According to the Associated Press, many Greenlanders expressed unease over the White House not ruling out the use of force. Tuuta Mikaelsen, a 22-year-old student in Nuuk, said she hoped American officials would get the message to “back off”.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, speaking at a press conference in Copenhagen, underlined the territory’s political alignment. “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we would choose Denmark. We choose Nato. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU,” he said.
Asked about Nielsen’s comments, Trump dismissed the Greenlandic leader, saying, “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But that’s going to be a big problem for him.”
Strategic stakes
Greenland’s strategic importance has grown as climate change accelerates ice melt, potentially opening new shipping routes to Asia and easing access to critical minerals used in electronic and defence technologies.
Trump has described Greenland as “vital” to the US “Golden Dome” missile defence programme and has repeatedly cited what he claims are growing threats from Russian and Chinese activity in the region.
However, residents and experts have questioned those claims. Lars Vintner, a heating engineer in Greenland, told AP that he had never seen Russian or Chinese ships despite years of sailing and hunting in the area. “The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” he said.
Hans Norgaard, a friend of Vintner, dismissed Trump’s assertions outright. “What has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy,” he said.
Danish authorities have maintained that while the US already operates military facilities in Greenland, any further expansion would require approval. Some locals argue security concerns are being overstated to mask economic interests in Greenland’s natural resources.
Diplomatic pushback
After the White House meetings, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the US, were expected to meet members of the US Arctic Caucus in Congress.
In the US Senate, bipartisan legislation has been introduced by Jeanne Shaheen and Lisa Murkowski to bar the use of Defence or State Department funds to annex or take control of Greenland — or any Nato member’s territory — without consent from the ally concerned or authorisation from the North Atlantic Council.
A bipartisan congressional delegation is also set to travel to Copenhagen later this week to meet Danish and Greenlandic leaders.
European allies have meanwhile closed ranks with Denmark. Last week, they joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a joint statement reaffirming that Greenland belongs to its people and that decisions about its future rest solely with Denmark and Greenland.
On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said France would open a consulate in Greenland on February 6. Speaking to RTL radio, Barrot said any attack on a Nato member “would make no sense” and would run counter to US interests. “This kind of pressure must obviously stop,” he said.
As diplomatic engagements continue on both sides of the Atlantic, Greenland has emerged as a flashpoint in US-Europe relations, with growing emphasis on respecting the territory’s autonomy and existing alliances.