Danish Prime Minister warns US takeover of Greenland would signal the end of NATO
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday that any attempt by the United States to take control of Greenland would effectively bring the NATO military alliance to an end, issuing one of her strongest warnings yet amid renewed rhetoric from President Donald Trump. Frederiksen’s remarks followed Trump’s latest push for U.S. control over the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island, comments that resurfaced in the wake of a dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela over the weekend. Greenland is a semiautonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and, through Denmark, a NATO member, making any threat to its sovereignty a direct challenge to the alliance itself. The overnight operation in Caracas to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife sent shockwaves across Europe and intensified concerns in Copenhagen and Nuuk about Washington’s intentions. Frederiksen and Greenland’s prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, jointly condemned the comments and warned that the consequences of such an action would be catastrophic for transatlantic security, with multiple European leaders voicing solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. Frederiksen said that if the United States were to militarily attack another NATO country, the alliance’s collective security framework would collapse, ending decades of shared defense that have existed since the end of World War II.
Fears were further inflamed by Trump’s recent statements suggesting a timeline for action, including remarks indicating discussions about Greenland within the next 20 days and his refusal to rule out the use of force. Frederiksen stressed that Trump’s words should be taken seriously and said Denmark and Greenland would not accept threats to their security or sovereignty. Nielsen urged calm among Greenlanders but rejected any comparison between Greenland and Venezuela, emphasizing that the island could not simply be conquered and that cooperation, not confrontation, remains the preferred path. Trump also criticized Denmark’s security presence in Greenland, mocking its defensive capabilities and claiming the island was surrounded by Russian and Chinese vessels, arguments he used to justify U.S. control on national security grounds. Danish officials pushed back forcefully, insisting on full respect for Denmark’s territorial integrity. Tensions were heightened further by a provocative social media post depicting Greenland draped in American colors, which drew sharp responses from Danish diplomats. The dispute has cast a shadow over what has otherwise been a close military partnership, including long-standing U.S. operations at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland and Denmark’s recent decisions to deepen defense cooperation with Washington. Critics within Denmark argue those agreements already stretch national sovereignty, and the escalating rhetoric over Greenland has now raised fundamental questions about trust, alliance unity, and the future of NATO itself.
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