DANISH Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that any attempt by the United States to take control of Greenland would mark the end of the NATO military alliance.
AP reported on Tuesday that her remarks follow renewed calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for jurisdiction over the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic territory, which is a semiautonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Speaking to Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday, Frederiksen said, “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops.
“That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”
She stressed that Trump “should be taken seriously” in his pursuit of Greenland and that Denmark will not tolerate threats to its territory.
The warnings come in the aftermath of a U.S. military operation in Venezuela over the weekend aimed at capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, an action that has heightened concerns in Denmark and Greenland. Frederiksen’s Greenlandic counterpart, Jens Frederik Nielsen, echoed her stance, insisting, “We are not in a situation where we think that there might be a takeover of the country overnight and that is why we are insisting that we want good cooperation.” He added, “The situation is not such that the United States can simply conquer Greenland.”
Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland, including his statement on Sunday that “let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days,” has fueled speculation about potential U.S. intervention.
The President also criticised Denmark’s efforts to strengthen Greenland’s security, mocking the addition of “one more dog sled” to the Arctic territory’s arsenal and claiming, “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
Security experts, however, caution that claims of a Russian and Chinese presence near Greenland are exaggerated.
Ulrik Pram Gad of the Danish Institute for International Studies noted that “there are indeed Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic, but these vessels are too far away to see from Greenland with or without binoculars.”
Denmark already hosts U.S. military operations in Greenland through the Pituffik Space Base, established under a 1951 defense agreement.
The facility supports missile warning, missile defence, and space surveillance for the United States and NATO.
On the mainland, Denmark maintains close military ties with Washington, including recent approval of legislation expanding U.S. troop access to Danish air bases, a move critics say diminishes Danish sovereignty.
The unfolding situation has drawn international attention, with European leaders voicing solidarity with Denmark and Greenland amid escalating tensions over the Arctic territory. - January 6, 2025
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