Denmark reaffirmed that Greenland is not up for sale following renewed assertions by Donald Trump for the United States to acquire the Arctic island. The US president stirred tensions during a Nato meeting in Ankara by reiterating his belief that America should have control over Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark emphasized her nation’s readiness to protect its land and supported Greenland’s right to determine its own destiny. She stated, “We are prepared to defend every inch of Nato, including our own territory.”
Frederiksen added, “We expect all, including our allies, to respect the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. Greenland is unequivocally not for sale.”
Trump stood firm on his stance, asserting that Greenland holds significant importance for the United States but not for Denmark. His remarks once again shifted the focus of the Nato summit towards his ambitions for the Danish region, overshadowing discussions on defence spending and backing for Ukraine.
The world’s largest island, Greenland, operates as a self-governing region under the Kingdom of Denmark. Although it manages most internal matters independently, Denmark retains control over its foreign relations and security policy.
Trump has consistently argued that the US shoulders a disproportionate burden in Nato’s defence spending and has urged European allies to ramp up their military expenditures. The latest Nato summit, which was initially set to concentrate on defence funding and support for Ukraine, redirected attention to Greenland following Trump’s remarks.
New data from Nato revealed that several member countries are still struggling to meet the alliance’s previous target of allocating 2% of GDP to defence, a point of contention repeatedly raised by the Trump administration.