COPENHAGEN: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued her strongest warning yet to Washington, saying any U.S. attempt to take control of Greenland would effectively spell the end of NATO.
Her remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump renewed calls for American control over the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island, days after a dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro. The operation has sent shockwaves through Europe, sharply heightening security anxieties in Denmark and Greenland.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and, by extension, part of the NATO alliance. Frederiksen said an American military move against it would destroy the alliance’s foundation.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2. “That includes NATO itself and the security framework that has existed since the end of the Second World War.”
Trump remarks fuel alarm
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland since his return to office and has refused to rule out the use of force. His latest comment, “let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days” has intensified fears in Copenhagen and Nuuk that Washington may be preparing concrete action.
Frederiksen said Trump’s statements must be taken seriously. “We will not accept a situation where Denmark or Greenland is threatened in this way,” she said.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen sought to calm public fears but rejected any comparison with Venezuela. “The United States cannot simply conquer Greenland,” he said, urging unity while stressing the importance of continued cooperation.
Political analysts in Denmark note a shift in tone from Frederiksen. TV2 journalist Ask Rostrup wrote that while the prime minister would previously have dismissed the idea outright, the escalating rhetoric from Washington has forced Danish leaders to confront the possibility openly.
Trump mocks Danish security efforts
Trump has also publicly ridiculed Denmark’s security posture in Greenland, claiming Copenhagen has contributed little more than “one more dog sled” to Arctic defense. He argued Greenland is vital to U.S. national security, citing Russian and Chinese activity in the region.
However, Danish Institute for International Studies expert Ulrik Pram Gad has countered those claims, noting that while Russian and Chinese vessels operate in the Arctic, they are nowhere near Greenland’s coastline in the manner Trump has suggested.
Strategic base, strained alliance
Tensions were further inflamed by a social media post from former Trump administration official Katie Miller, showing Greenland draped in U.S. flag colors with the caption “SOON.” Denmark’s ambassador to Washington, Jesper Møller Sørensen, responded by demanding full respect for Danish territorial integrity. The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement. The base plays a critical role in missile warning, missile defense and space surveillance for both the U.S. and NATO.
Despite decades of close military cooperation including Denmark’s purchase of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets and recent approval of expanded U.S. base access critics in Denmark argue that sovereignty has been steadily eroded. Now, Frederiksen’s warning underscores a stark message: a U.S. grab for Greenland would not merely strain transatlantic ties, it would shatter the alliance itself.
-Dazio, WNN
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