European leaders have strongly opposed US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the United States should take control of Greenland. The leaders unanimously said the Arctic island, which is rich in minerals, “belongs to its people.”
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in defending Greenland’s sovereignty.
“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them. The United States is an essential partner in this endeavour, as a NATO ally and through the defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951. Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the joint declaration read.
Notably, Greenland is a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Trump’s comments came after a US military operation in Venezuela over the weekend. Frederiksen had warned that any attempt by the US to take over Greenland could threaten the NATO alliance.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” he said.
Despite this, Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said on Monday that Greenland should be part of the United States.
“The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus,” AP quoted Miller as saying in an interview with CNN.
US military presence in Greenland
The US Department of Defense runs the remote Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland. The base was established after the United States and Denmark signed the Defence of Greenland Treaty in 1951. It plays a key role in missile warning, missile defense and space monitoring for both the US and NATO.
Denmark stepping up presence in Greenland
Denmark is now looking to boost its military presence in Greenland and the broader North Atlantic. Last year, the Danish government agreed to invest about 14.6 billion kroner (around USD 2.3 billion) with support from Greenland and the Faroe Islands, another Danish self-governing territory. The funding aims to enhance the region’s surveillance capabilities and strengthen sovereignty.
