Greenland is very unhappy.
Greenland’s political leadership is openly pushing back against President Donald Trump after he and members of his administration renewed discussions about U.S. control of the strategically critical Arctic island. Trump administration officials argue the issue is rooted in national security, warning that foreign adversaries could move quickly if the United States does not act.
In a joint statement released late Friday, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and leaders from four political parties rejected the idea outright.
“We do not want to be Americans. We do not want to be Danes. We want to be Greenlanders,” the statement said, according to The Associated Press.
Greenland is a self-governing territory under Denmark and has long cooperated closely with the United States on military and defense matters. However, its leaders have repeatedly rejected President Trump’s comments about U.S. ownership, insisting that any decision about the island’s future must come from the Greenlandic people themselves.
The statement went further, criticizing what leaders described as dismissive rhetoric from Washington and calling for greater respect toward Greenland’s sovereignty.
President Trump addressed the issue again on Friday during a White House roundtable with American energy executives. He emphasized Greenland’s importance to U.S. defense strategy and warned that failing to secure the region could leave it vulnerable to hostile powers.
“We’re going to address Greenland one way or another,” Trump said. “If we don’t, Russia or China will move in. We’re not going to allow Russia or China to become our neighbor.”
The remarks came as Trump hosted energy leaders to discuss investment opportunities in Venezuela, following the January capture and extradition of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro. Trump said the U.S. has regained strategic influence there and again warned about Russian and Chinese expansion near American interests.
Greenland’s leadership has rejected comparisons between their island and Venezuela, stating that while they seek stronger ties with Washington, they will not accept being treated as a geopolitical bargaining chip, according to Reuters.
The debate has also raised alarms in Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any U.S. military move involving Greenland could severely damage the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“If the United States were to take military action against another NATO country, the alliance as we know it would collapse,” Frederiksen said in comments to Danish broadcaster TV2, citing decades of shared security since World War II.
On the same day, Nielsen posted on Facebook that Greenland is “not an object of superpower rhetoric,” reinforcing his government’s position that the island should not be reduced to a talking point between global powers.
Despite the backlash, the White House continues to defend Trump’s position. Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said in a televised interview that Greenland’s location makes it vital to U.S. and NATO security.
Speaking on CNN, Miller argued that American leadership in the Arctic is necessary to counter growing threats from Russia and China. When pressed by anchor Jake Tapper about military action, Miller said U.S. responsibility for NATO’s defense requires serious consideration of Greenland’s future.
