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Greenland is seeking to fortify ties with the United States, and its citizens should not fearfulness an imminent American takeover, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said connected Monday (January 5, 2026), pursuing renewed interest successful the Arctic land by U.S. President Donald Trump. European powers rallied down Greenland connected Monday, aft the U.S. subject cognition successful which Venezuela’s person was seized, rekindling concerns that the island, an autonomous Danish territory, mightiness look a akin scenario.
“We are not successful the concern wherever we are reasoning that a takeover of the state mightiness hap overnight,” Mr. Nielsen said astatine a property league successful the superior Nuuk, speaking via a translator. “You cannot comparison Greenland to Venezuela. We are a antiauthoritarian country.” Mr. Trump, who said the U.S. was taking impermanent power of oil-producing Venezuela, has said repeatedly he wants to instrumentality implicit Greenland and told The Atlantic mag connected Sunday (January 4, 2026): “We do request Greenland, absolutely. We request it for defence.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One aboriginal connected Monday, Mr. Trump said helium would revisit the taxable successful a fewer weeks.
In a Facebook station precocious connected Sunday, Mr. Nielsen said: “Enough is enough... No much fantasies astir annexation.”
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen besides addressed Mr. Trump’s comments: “Unfortunately, I deliberation the American president should beryllium taken earnestly erstwhile helium says helium wants Greenland,” she told nationalist broadcaster DR. “I person made it precise wide where the Kingdom of Denmark stands, and Greenland has repeatedly said that it does not privation to beryllium portion of the United States.”
Greenland, the world’s largest land with a colonisation of 57,000 people, is not an autarkic subordinate of NATO but is covered by Denmark’s rank of the Western subject alliance, of which the U.S. is besides a member.
“If the United States attacks different NATO country, everything stops,” Mr. Frederiksen said. Mr. Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry arsenic peculiar envoy to Greenland past month. Mr. Landry has publically expressed enactment for incorporating Greenland into the United States.
Greenland’s strategical determination betwixt Europe and North America makes it a captious tract for the U.S. ballistic rocket defence system. The island’s important mineral resources besides align with Washington’s ambition to trim dependence connected Chinese exports.
European allies backed Denmark and Greenland connected the matter, emphasizing that the island’s aboriginal lies successful the hands of its people.
“Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark indispensable find the aboriginal of Greenland and cipher else,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said connected Monday. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul suggested NATO could sermon strengthening Greenland’s protection, portion the European Union reiterated its committedness to the rule of nationalist sovereignty.
