Several European leaders on Tuesday firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion of an American takeover of Greenland, emphasizing that the Arctic island “belongs to its people.”
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in reaffirming Greenland’s sovereignty. The self-governing territory of Denmark is part of the NATO alliance. “It is for Denmark and Greenland alone to decide on matters concerning them,” the leaders said in a joint statement.
Trump has argued that the U.S. should control Greenland to safeguard NATO territory against growing Chinese and Russian influence in the Arctic. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told CNN on Monday that Greenland should be part of the United States as part of its overall security strategy, questioning Denmark’s claim over the territory.
Frederiksen and Greenland’s leaders, however, have repeatedly rejected any U.S. takeover, warning that such a move could undermine NATO. Miller clarified that the discussion did not involve any military action, saying, “Nobody is going to fight the U.S. militarily over the future of Greenland.”