Washington, Jan 5,2026: Soon after US President Donald Trump asserted on Sunday that the United States needs Greenland from a strategic point of view, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged the US president to stop “threatening” the territory.
Trump’s remarks came after Washington’s military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
The US military’s bold action against a sovereign country has reignited fears for Greenland, which Trump has repeatedly said he wants to annex, citing its strategic location in the Arctic.
Trump has once again said that the United States needs Greenland for national security reasons.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump said Greenland was critical to US security due to the growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic region.
“We need Greenland. It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” Trump further claimed that Europe supports the idea.
“The European union needs us to have it, and they know that,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to annex Greenland, a vast, resource-rich island in the Atlantic that is a self-governing territory of Denmark. He has argued that taking control of Greenland is necessary for American defence interests.
Both Greenland and Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States, have consistently rejected the idea. Reacting strongly, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on Trump to stop making threats over Greenland.
“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland,” Frederiksen said in a statement. “The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom,” she added.
“I would therefore strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
As China currently dominates the global supply chain for rare earth materials, the United States views Greenland as an opportunity to strengthen its economic security and counter Beijing’s control over these critical resources.
On December 21, Trump named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, reigniting criticism from Denmark and Greenland over Washington’s interest in the mineral-rich Arctic island. Trump has previously advocated several times for Greenland to become part of the United States, an idea that Landry has publicly supported.
Greenland’s strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a vital component of the US ballistic missile defence system, while its mineral wealth is increasingly attractive as Washington seeks to reduce reliance on Chinese exports.
