Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Sunday that Copenhagen is facing a “decisive moment” in its diplomatic standoff over Greenland after US President Donald Trump once again suggested that Washington could use force to take control of the vast Arctic island.
Speaking ahead of a series of meetings in Washington starting Monday, Frederiksen said the dispute was no longer theoretical, but part of a broader global struggle over strategic influence and critical raw materials in the Arctic. “There is a conflict over Greenland,” she said during a debate with other Danish political leaders, stressing that the stakes extended far beyond the future of the self-governing territory itself.
“This is a decisive moment,” Frederiksen added, framing the issue as a test of international norms at a time of intensifying geopolitical competition in the Far North.
In a post on Facebook later on Sunday, the Danish leader underlined her government’s position, saying Denmark was prepared to stand firm. “We are ready to defend our values – wherever it is necessary – also in the Arctic. We believe in international law and in peoples’ right to self-determination,” she wrote, in a clear rebuke to Trump’s renewed rhetoric.
Trump, who has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to US national security, has revived the idea of acquiring the mineral-rich island and has refused to rule out military action. The White House said earlier this week that the president still wants to buy Greenland, alarming European allies and prompting urgent coordination across the continent.
Germany and Sweden were among the first to publicly back Denmark following Trump’s latest remarks. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned what he described as “threatening rhetoric” after Trump said the United States was “going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not”.
Speaking at a major defence conference in Sälen, attended by NATO’s top US general, Kristersson said Nordic and European unity was essential. “Sweden, the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, and several major European countries stand together with our Danish friends,” he told delegates.
Kristersson warned that a US takeover of Greenland would represent a serious breach of international norms. “It would be a violation of international law and risks encouraging other countries to act in exactly the same way,” he said, suggesting that such a precedent could destabilise global order far beyond the Arctic.
Berlin also reiterated its support for Denmark and Greenland ahead of high-level talks in Washington. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was due to hold discussions in Iceland on Monday focused on what his ministry described as the “strategic challenges of the Far North”, before travelling on to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“The legitimate interests of all NATO Allies, as well as those of the inhabitants of the Arctic region, must be at the centre of our discussions,” Wadephul said in a statement. He has previously made clear that sovereignty over Greenland is not open to outside negotiation, telling Germany’s Bild daily that “it is exclusively up to Greenland and Denmark to decide questions of Greenland’s territory and sovereignty”.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil echoed that message, saying that Arctic security should be strengthened cooperatively within NATO. “We are strengthening security in the Arctic together, as NATO allies, and not against one another,” he said ahead of an international meeting on critical raw materials in Washington.
European concern has been mounting since Trump’s comments, with leaders scrambling to present a united front. On Tuesday, the leaders of seven European countries, including France, Britain, Germany and Italy, signed a joint letter emphasising that it is “only” for Denmark and Greenland to decide the territory’s future.
Trump has justified his stance by pointing to growing Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic, arguing that US control of Greenland is essential to counter those threats. The island sits astride key sea lanes and hosts important US military installations, including the Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Air Base.
NATO Supreme Allied Commander General Alexus Grynkewich, speaking at the Swedish conference, confirmed that alliance members are actively discussing Greenland’s status. While he declined to address what he called “the political dimensions of recent rhetoric”, he said talks were ongoing within NATO’s main decision-making body.
“Those dialogues continue in Brussels. They have been healthy dialogues from what I’ve heard,” Grynkewich said. He added that there was “no immediate threat” to NATO territory, but stressed that the Arctic’s strategic importance was increasing rapidly.
The general noted that Russian and Chinese naval vessels have been observed operating together along Russia’s northern coast and near Alaska and Canada, a sign of closer cooperation as melting ice opens up new routes and access to resources. “They are working together to gain greater access to the Arctic,” he said, pointing to climate change as a key factor reshaping the region’s security landscape.
Greenland, a former Danish colony until 1953, was granted home rule in 1979 and later expanded self-government. While the island controls most domestic affairs, Denmark retains responsibility for defence and foreign policy. Greenlandic leaders have long discussed the possibility of eventual independence, but polls consistently show strong opposition among the population to any form of US takeover.
As Frederiksen prepares for talks in Washington, the dispute has become a defining test for Denmark’s diplomacy and for European unity more broadly, with Greenland emerging as a focal point in the widening contest for power and resources in the Arctic.
