'We don't want to be Americans': Greenland politicians unite against threat of force from Trump

LAST UPDATE | 23 hrs ago

“WE DON’T WANT to be Americans,” Greenland’s political parties said after US President Donald Trump again suggested the use of force to seize the mineral-rich Danish autonomous territory.

“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders,” the leaders of five parties in parliament said late last night. 

“The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders,” they said.

It comes after Donald Trump once again suggested using force to seize Greenland as he brushed aside Denmark’s sovereignty over the autonomous Arctic island. 

The Republican has rattled allies by refusing to rule out using the US military to take over the island, while also suggesting he could buy it.

“We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” he said at a White House meeting with oil executives looking to benefit in Venezuela, where the US last week kidnapped president Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation.

Asked about Greenland, Trump said:

I would like to make a deal, you know, the easy way. But if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.

He repeated his claim that controlling the island is crucial for US national security due to rising military activity of Russia and China in the Arctic.

“We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland. That’s what they’re going to do if we don’t. So we’re going to be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way.”

Both countries have increased military activity in the Arctic region in recent years, but neither has laid any claim to the vast icy island. 

Advertisement

Greenland is on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the US, and Washington already has a military base there.

With its population of 57,000 spread out across 2.2 million square kilometres, Greenland is rich in natural resources, although oil and uranium exploration are banned. 

The country has been autonomous since 1979 and has its own flag, language and institutions. However, Greenland’s judiciary, monetary policy, defence and foreign affairs all remain under Danish control.

The Greenland government also relies on Denmark for more than half of its budget and the subsidies it receives from Copenhagen amount to a fifth of its GDP.

Denmark and other European allies have voiced shock at Trump’s threats to take control of the island, with the country insisting the island is not for sale. 

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an invasion of Greenland would end “everything,” meaning NATO and the post-World War II security structure.

Trump made light of the concerns of Denmark, a steadfast US ally that joined the United States in the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq.

“I’m a fan of Denmark, too, I have to tell you. And you know, they’ve been very nice to me,” Trump said.

“But you know, the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet next week with Denmark’s foreign minister and representatives from Greenland.

Meloni doubts US will attack Greenland

Speaking earlier today, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she does not believe the US will attack Greenland, but that its “assertive methods” were intended to dissuade interference from other countries.

Related Reads

Trump reckons NATO wouldn't be 'there for' him if needed, as he considers invading Greenland

White House says US military 'always an option' for acquiring Greenland

Greenland PM says 'don't panic' over Trump's annexation threats, but calls for talks with US

Meloni, who is considered one of Trump’s biggest allies in Europe, said NATO should focus more on the Arctic region and ensure a “significant presence” of allies to preserve security and keep out hostile countries.

“I still do not believe in the hypothesis that the United States will take military action to take control of Greenland, an option that I clearly would not agree with,” Meloni told journalists in an annual New Year’s press conference.

Such an option would not “be in anyone’s interest, not even in the interest of the United States of America”.

“I think that the Trump administration, with its somewhat assertive, very assertive methods, is focusing above all on the strategic importance of Greenland and the Arctic region in general for its interests and security,” said Meloni.

“I continue to believe that the message the US wants to send is that it will not accept excessive interference from other foreign actors in an area so strategic for its security and interests,” she said.

It was up not just to Europe but to NATO to “initiate a serious debate” on the Arctic as a priority.

Italy itself was drawing up an Arctic strategy, she said, with objectives including preserving peace and security, helping Italian companies invest, and promoting research, especially related to climate change.

“The best way to prevent problems… is to ensure that there is a serious and significant presence of the Atlantic alliance, in short, of allies in the Arctic, and that they also involve Greenland,” she said.

“So that together we can respond to a concern that I understand on the part of the United States, which is that of not having excessive interference from other actors who could also be hostile.”

With reporting from © AFP 2026

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More Support The Journal