'Greenland belongs to its people': European leaders issue joint statement backing Denmark amid US interest

Leaders from major European powers have issued a joint statement backing Denmark and Greenland, emphasising that the Arctic island belongs to its people, amid renewed interest from US President Donald Trump in acquiring the territory.

“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” CNN quoted the statement, signed by leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain and Denmark, as saying.

The leaders stressed that Arctic security must be ensured collectively with Nato allies, including the United States.

“Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up,” the statement added. “We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”

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Trump has in recent weeks repeated that he wants to gain control of Greenland, an idea first voiced in 2019 during his first presidency, arguing that it is vital for the US military, and that Denmark has not done enough to protect it.

Trump told The Atlantic on Sunday, “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that Denmark could rely on the solidarity of all European nations regarding Greenland.

“No member should attack or threaten another member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Otherwise, Nato would lose its meaning if conflict or mutual conflicts occurred within the alliance,” Reuters quoted Tusk as telling reporters in Warsaw.

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The Netherlands also voiced full support for the joint statement, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X.

To counter US concerns over Greenland’s defence capabilities, Denmark last year pledged 42 billion Danish crowns ($6.58 billion) to strengthen its military presence in the Arctic.

Trump aide says world ‘governed by force’

However, in remarks likely to alarm Washington’s European allies, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller dismissed concerns about Danish sovereignty and international law.

“You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else. But we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” Miller told CNN on Monday.

“There is no need to think or even talk about this in the context of a military operation. Nobody is going to fight the US militarily over the future of Greenland,” he added.

Just hours after Saturday’s Venezuela operation, Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, posted a map of Greenland painted in Stars & Stripes on X, accompanied by the text “SOON.”

Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of just 57,000, is not an independent Nato member but is covered by Denmark’s membership in the Western military alliance.

The island’s strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a key site for the US ballistic missile defence system, while its mineral wealth aligns with Washington’s ambition to reduce reliance on Chinese exports.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Monday that his government was working to strengthen ties with the United States and that citizens should not fear an imminent US takeover.

With inputs from agencies