Greenland’s authorities said on Monday that they intend to strengthen cooperation with NATO to safeguard the Arctic territory, once again dismissing any suggestion that the island could fall under U.S. control. The statement was a direct response to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has renewed calls for Washington to take ownership of the strategically important island.
Trump has argued that U.S. control over Greenland—an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark—is necessary to prevent rivals such as Russia or China from gaining influence in the Arctic, a region rich in natural resources and of growing military significance. His comments have reignited diplomatic unease in Europe and across the North Atlantic alliance.
In a statement, Greenland’s coalition government emphasized that responsibility for the island’s security lies within NATO, of which Greenland is a part through Denmark. It stressed that all alliance members, including the United States, share an interest in Greenland’s defence, but made clear that any form of American takeover was unacceptable. The government said Greenland’s security arrangements must remain anchored in NATO frameworks.
The issue has also drawn sharp reactions from European officials. EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius warned that a U.S. military seizure of Greenland would effectively undermine the NATO alliance itself. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, underscored the island’s commitment to self-determination, writing that Greenland is a democratic society whose decisions are guided by international law. Although Denmark has governed the territory for centuries, Greenland has steadily expanded its autonomy since 1979, with full independence remaining a long-term objective across its political spectrum.
