European leaders rallied on Tuesday, January 6, to defend the territorial integrity of Greenland after renewed statements from US President Donald Trump suggesting the United States may pursue the strategically vital Arctic island.
In a joint statement, leaders including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stood with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in affirming that Greenland “belongs to its people”.
The united European front asserted that any future of the territory must be decided by Greenland and Denmark alone.
The coordinated declaration comes amid growing concern over recent rhetoric from the White House, which stated that deploying the US military to secure control of Greenland is “always an option” available to the commander-in-chief.
The Trump administration defended this stance as a matter of national security, citing the need to deter rival powers in the Arctic.
Ms Frederiksen has repeatedly rebuked such remarks, warning that an American military move against Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of a NATO ally, could mark the end of the alliance itself.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she told Danish broadcasters, underscoring the potential diplomatic and security fallout.
As tensions mount, Denmark and its European partners are pressing for diplomatic channels to cool the rhetoric, even as U.S. officials continue to emphasise the Arctic’s strategic importance amid global geopolitical competition.
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