Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark expressed outrage on Sunday at recent statements emerging from the United States targeting Greenland for American annexation — including from President Donald Trump himself.
“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland,” Frederiksen wrote in a statement. “The United States has no right to annex one of the three countries in the Danish Realm.”
U.S. publication the Atlantic had posted an interview with Trump earlier on Jan. 4 in which the American leader said: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense,” and described the Danish autonomous territory as “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.”
Noting that Denmark is a NATO member and “is thus covered by the alliance’s security guarantee,” Frederiksen said: “I would therefore strongly urge that the United States stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly stated that they are not for sale.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex the mineral-rich territory, angering the Danes, and on Saturday his administration launched a series of air strikes on Venezuela prior to capturing its president, Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Hours later, Trump said the U.S. will “run” Venezuela until a leadership transition is able to take place.
Late Saturday, Katie Miller, a former U.S. administration official and the wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, posted an image on X showing a map of Greenland in the colors of the Stars and Stripes with a one-word caption: “SOON.”
There was an equally quick response to Miller’s provocation.
“We expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Copenhagen’s ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, said in a post on X that included Miller’s posting, in what he termed a “friendly reminder” of the longstanding defense ties between the two countries.
Trump last month named a special envoy to Greenland, sparking a new diplomatic frenzy in Europe.
The U.S. “has to have Greenland for national security,” Trump said at a press conference announcing the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as his envoy to Greenland.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance last March didn’t rule out using military action to bring Greenland under American control, but said it wouldn’t be necessary if Greenlanders chose to break from Denmark and “cut a deal” with Washington.
This article has been updated.
