“That’s Enough Now”: Greenland, Denmark Push Back as Trump Revives Annexation Rhetoric

International tension flared on Monday after former US President Donald Trump renewed calls for Greenland to become part of the United States, drawing sharp condemnation from the autonomous Danish territory, Denmark, and several European allies.

Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, issued a firm warning to Washington, saying the island would not tolerate pressure or threats over its sovereignty.

“That’s enough now. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,” Nielsen said in a statement posted on social media.
“We are open to dialogue, but this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.”

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday, argued that Greenland was vital to US national security and questioned Denmark’s ability to safeguard the territory.

“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he said, adding that Washington would soon return to the issue.

The renewed rhetoric has unsettled European leaders, coming just days after Washington’s controversial intervention in Venezuela, where Trump has claimed the United States will “run” the country indefinitely while exploiting its oil reserves.

Analysts note that Greenland’s strategic importance lies in its vast untapped rare earth minerals, its position along emerging Arctic shipping routes as polar ice melts, and its location on the shortest missile path between Russia and the United States. The US already maintains a military base on the island.

Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, condemned Trump’s remarks over the weekend, urging Washington to stop threatening a NATO ally and calling US claims on Greenland “absurd.”

Support for Denmark quickly followed from across Europe. EU foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper said the bloc was committed to defending the territorial integrity of its members. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark could decide the territory’s future, a view echoed by leaders in France, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.

France’s foreign ministry added that “borders cannot be changed by force,” expressing solidarity with Copenhagen.

Tensions escalated further after former Trump aide Katie Miller posted an image of Greenland overlaid with the US flag and captioned “SOON.” Nielsen described the post as “disrespectful,” while Frederiksen accused Washington of threatening a historic ally.

Trump has also claimed that Chinese and Russian vessels are increasingly active around Greenland’s coast, a charge dismissed by Beijing. China’s foreign ministry on Monday urged the United States to stop using the “so-called China threat” as a pretext for advancing its own interests.

Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic lawmaker in Denmark’s parliament, accused Trump of spreading falsehoods and warned that Greenlanders should take the rhetoric seriously.

“The people of Greenland should go into preparation mode,” she said.

Despite the growing war of words, Denmark’s ambassador to Washington, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, sought to strike a conciliatory tone, noting that Copenhagen and Washington were already cooperating to strengthen Arctic security.

“We are close allies and should continue to work together as such,” he said.

For now, Greenland’s leaders remain resolute: dialogue is possible, but annexation is not on the table.