Trump says Greenland not being under US control is ‘unacceptable’

The US president made the remarks just hours ahead of crucial talks involving Denmark, Greenland, and the United States.

Donald Trump has said that Greenland falling into the hands of any country other than the US would be “unacceptable.” He reiterated his demand to acquire the Arctic island, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, just hours before high-stakes talks on its future.

The former US president said on social media, “The US needs Greenland for national security. NATO should help us get it.”

He added that the alliance “becomes much stronger and more effective” with the territory under US control. “It’s crucial for the Golden Dome we’re building,” he said, referring to a proposed missile defense system.

Trump’s comments came as the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland were preparing to meet with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. They were scheduled to discuss the territory amid rising tensions following weeks of US pressure.

The former president first floated the idea of a US acquisition of Greenland during his first term in 2019, but he has significantly escalated his rhetoric since returning to the White House last year, saying the US would take it “one way or another.”

Trump’s remarks have alarmed the EU and NATO, as he has not ruled out the use of military force to acquire the strategically located, mineral-rich island. The island falls under several security guarantees provided by both organizations, as Denmark is a member of both.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, had initially requested talks with Rubio, but after Vance’s involvement and subsequent request to host the meeting, the talks will take place in Washington.

Greenland and Denmark have repeatedly stated that the territory is not for sale, that the US is putting “unacceptable pressure” on its long-standing ally, and that a 1951 mutual agreement already allows the US to significantly expand its military presence on the island.

Several EU leaders have backed Denmark, pledging their support for its territorial integrity and right to self-determination. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the island “belongs to the people who live there.”

“It is important for me that the people of Greenland know, and that they know not only through words but also through actions, that we respect the wishes and interests of the people of Greenland and that they can count on us,” she said in Brussels.

French President Emmanuel Macron also said that if “the sovereignty of an EU country and ally is affected, there will be unprecedented consequences.” He added that France would stand “in full solidarity with Denmark and its sovereignty.”

Analysts said Rasmussen and Motzfeldt would meet with Vance and Rubio at around 10:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. GMT), and their goal would be to de-escalate the crisis and find a diplomatic solution to address US demands for greater control.

“The ultimate goal is to find some kind of compromise or strike a deal that can satisfy that need or at least significantly tone down Donald Trump’s rhetoric,” Andreas Osthagen of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo told Reuters.

Noah Redington, a former adviser to Denmark’s previous prime minister, said there was considerable concern in Denmark and Greenland that Motzfeldt and Rasmussen could be humiliated in the same way that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was last February.

Penny Naas of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a Washington think tank, said that if the U.S. insists on “we want Greenland at all costs,” it could be a very short meeting, but “one little thing” could change everything.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, seeking to allay U.S. concerns, told Agence France-Presse that Denmark is increasing its military presence in Greenland and is in talks with its allies to “increase NATO’s presence in the Arctic.”

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said at a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart, Mette Frederiksen, on Tuesday that “we choose Denmark” and that the island would not belong to or be governed by Washington.

“If we had to choose between the U.S. and Denmark right now, we would choose Denmark, NATO, and the EU,” Nielsen said, adding that the island’s “goal and desire is peaceful dialogue focused on cooperation.”

Frederiksen said it wasn’t easy for Denmark to “face completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally,” but the truth is that “borders cannot be changed by force, and small countries should not be afraid of larger countries.”

Trump has said, “If we don’t do it the easy way, we’ll do it the hard way,” and insisted that US ownership is “psychologically important for success” and “gives you things and elements that you can’t get just by signing a document.”

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday found that only 17% of Americans approved of Trump’s attempts to acquire Greenland, and a majority of both Democrats and Republicans opposed using military force to seize the island.