A renewed dispute over the future of Greenland surfaced on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump repeated that the United States should assume control of the island, prompting Denmark to pledge that it would defend its territory. The remarks also disrupted a NATO summit in Turkey intended to showcase alliance unity.
Mette Frederiksen said Denmark is “ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory” if attacked, adding that her government expects fellow NATO members to uphold their collective defence obligations.
“We hope that all, including all allies, will respect the Greenland people’s right to self-determination,” Frederiksen said ahead of the meeting of NATO leaders. “Greenland is of course, not for sale.”
On the eve of the summit, U.S. President Donald Trump reignited tensions by once again insisting that the United States should take control of Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Speaking as he arrived for the summit on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “not happy with NATO” over the alliance’s opposition to his earlier proposal for the United States to take control of Greenland. He also claimed the island was “very important for the United States, but it’s not important for Denmark.”
Analysts warn that Trump’s renewed focus on acquiring Greenland could place fresh pressure on the future of NATO, the military alliance formed in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union and strengthen Europe’s collective security during the Cold War.
NATO is primarily structured to respond to external security challenges, particularly those posed by countries such as Russia, rather than disputes or tensions involving its own member states.
Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir insisted that “Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland,” while urging NATO allies to remain united against what she described as their greatest security challenge: Russia.
