Greenland's leader has declared "enough is enough," and Denmark's allies in Europe affirmed that the Arctic island's future must be determined by its people, rebuffing renewed remarks by US President Donald Trump about acquiring the vast territory.
A US military operation to capture Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, and Trump's intention to oversee governance of the oil-rich Latin American country, have rekindled concerns in Denmark that Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, might face a similar scenario.
"Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark must determine the future of Greenland and nobody else," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters.
Starmer has sought to stay on good terms with Trump and adopted a less publicly critical approach than most other European leaders.
Trump has repeatedly said he wants to take over Greenland, an ambition first voiced in 2019 during his first presidency. On Sunday, he told The Atlantic magazine in an interview: "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence."
How big is Greenland? What is the population of the island?
Greenland is a large country. You can fit approximately 28 to 30 Irelands inside Greenland.
It is about 2.175 million km², making it vastly larger than the island of Ireland (around 84,000 km²).
The island has a population of just over 56,000 people, as of 2021. That year, 18,800 people resided in the capital city Nuuk.
Nearly all Greenlanders live in the south-west of the main island.
Why does Trump want Greenland?
Greenland's strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a critical site for the US ballistic missile defence system.
The island's significant mineral resources also align with Washington's ambition to reduce dependence on Chinese exports.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One early on Monday, Trump said he would revisit the topic in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said: "Threats, pressure, and talk of annexation have no place between friends.
"Enough is enough. (...) No more fantasies about annexation."
On December 21st, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland. Landry has publicly expressed support for incorporating Greenland into the United States.
NATO
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Monday that Greenland belongs to Denmark and suggested NATO could discuss strengthening its protection if necessary.
France also expressed solidarity, saying Greenland belonged to the people of Greenland, while a European Commission spokesperson said that the EU will continue to uphold the principle of national sovereignty.
Support for Denmark and Greenland also came swiftly from all Nordic and Baltic leaders.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Sunday that US comments about needing to take over Greenland made "absolutely no sense".
"It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom."
