European leaders react to Donald Trump’s Greenland comments
European leaders have issued a unified rebuke to President Donald Trump’s recent comments reiterating U.S. interest in acquiring Greenland for national security reasons, emphasizing Danish sovereignty and Greenland’s self-determination. These reactions followed Trump’s statements on Air Force One around January 4, 2026, claiming Russian and Chinese presence necessitates U.S. control.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump to stop the threats, calling any annexation illogical and a threat to NATO, while asserting the U.S. has no claim over Danish realms. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the future of Greenland belongs solely to Greenlanders and Denmark. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen dismissed U.S. governance as a “fantasy.”
The EU and leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK issued a joint statement upholding borders as non-negotiable and advocating NATO cooperation for Arctic security. Danish officials warned that U.S. aggression would collapse international norms. This solidarity highlights concerns over transatlantic relations amid Trump’s revival of his 2019 proposal.
