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US President Donald Trump justifies his plans by citing “defense needs.”
Leaders of Denmark and Greenland have called on President Trump to stop threatening to annex Greenland, after he reiterated his desire to do so in an interview with The Atlantic following the special operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his statement that the US would govern Venezuela.
“We really need Greenland,” Trump said, adding that the Danish territory is “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.” According to The Telegraph, Trump said officials in his administration would decide the fate of Greenland, which, in his view, the US should annex for security reasons.
“We need it for defense,” he said about Greenland. In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump to “stop the threats,” adding that Greenland “is not for sale.”
“The United States has no right to annex any part of the Kingdom of Denmark,” she said, noting that Denmark already has a defense agreement with the US providing access to Greenland, and that Copenhagen has increased its investments in Arctic security.
“Therefore, I strongly urge the United States to stop threatening a historically close ally and another country and its people, who have made it very clear that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen added.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Fredrik Nielsen expressed his outrage at the remarks on Sunday afternoon, commenting on a social media post by the wife of Trump deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller showing a map of Greenland in US flag colors with the caption “Coming Soon.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated on X that “only Denmark and Greenland have the right to decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” adding that Sweden fully supports the neighboring country.
On December 21, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland, sparking further criticism from Denmark and Greenland over Washington’s interest in the resource-rich Arctic island. Trump has advocated for Greenland to become part of the United States, a notion publicly supported by Landry.
The island’s strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a key site for the US missile defense system, and its mineral wealth is attractive as the US seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese imports.
The publication notes that Trump’s mission to capture Maduro has already raised concerns about potential further US military operations in the Western Hemisphere, which the administration considers within America’s sphere of influence.
Analysts consider a US invasion of Greenland unlikely, noting that the Danish territory is part of NATO alongside the United States. However, renewed threats are likely to alarm European leaders, as tensions between America and the continent grow.
Meanwhile, Trump has warned Venezuelan Vice President Delsi Rodríguez, whom the Supreme Court of Venezuela declared temporary president, that she will “pay a heavy price” if she does not cooperate with the US.
“If she does not do what is right, she will pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro,” he said in the same Atlantic interview.
Trump also warned that the US could carry out a second military strike in Venezuela if the rest of the administration does not cooperate with his efforts to “correct the situation in the country.”
He further raised the possibility of additional US military involvement in Latin America, suggesting that Colombia and Mexico could face military action if they do not reduce the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
“Operation ‘Colombia’ sounds good to me,” Trump said. He also stated that Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, “seems ready to fall” on its own without US military intervention.
