Denmark and Greenland are again urging the United States to refrain from considering Greenland as a prospective acquisition. This appeal comes after years of speculation regarding the island’s status.
In a statement released on a Danish government website on Sunday, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was unequivocal, saying, “I must communicate this directly to the United States.” She emphasized, “It makes absolutely no sense to discuss any notion of the United States taking over Greenland. There is no right to annex any of the three countries in the Commonwealth.”
Frederiksen, who has held her position since 2019, pointed out that Greenland, as part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is a member of NATO, thereby under the security guarantee of the alliance. She also noted that Denmark has a defense agreement in place with the U.S., allowing for American access to the territory, which is home to the Pituffik Space Base.
“I strongly urge the United States to cease its threats towards a historically close ally and to recognize that Greenland is not for sale,” Frederiksen reiterated in her statement.
This declaration follows a provocative post by Katie Miller, a former aide to President Donald Trump, who shared a map of Greenland overlaid with the U.S. flag on social media platform X. Accompanying the image was the caption, “SOON.”
Trump has long entertained ideas of purchasing Greenland, citing U.S. security needs and the island’s abundant natural resources. In response to Miller’s post, Jesper Møller Sørensen, the Danish ambassador to the U.S., emphasized, “A friendly reminder: the U.S. and the Kingdom of Denmark are close allies and should continue to cooperate as such,” adding that he expects “full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, echoed this sentiment in a Facebook post, declaring, “Enough is enough.” He dismissed any “fantasies of annexation” as “completely and utterly unacceptable.”
The idea of U.S. ownership of Greenland first emerged during Trump’s first term in August 2019, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. That month, Greenland’s foreign affairs ministry responded on social media, stating, “We’re open for business, not for sale.”
In a congressional address following his second term’s commencement in March, Trump reiterated that the U.S. would take control of Greenland, “one way or another.” Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Greenland in March, underscoring the ongoing interest in the region.
Requests for comment from representatives for both Trump and Frederiksen went unanswered.
