Europe rallies behind Greenland following US interest
European leaders have released a joint statement over Greenland amid fears the US could be planning a take over following its operation to capture the leader of Venezuela.
Source: CNN
Europe’s major powers are rallying behind Greenland amid fears that the US is planning to take over the Arctic island following the success of its operation capturing the leader of Venezuela.
In recent days, an emboldened President Donald Trump has said the US “needs” Greenland, while his White House chief of staff Stephen Miller said nobody would fight the US over the future of the Danish territory.
The leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark released a joint statement on Wednesday (AEDT) confirming that Greenland “belongs to its people”.
“It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” said the statement.
The leaders said security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, including the United States.
“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up,” the statement said.
“We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities, and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”
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Trump has in recent weeks repeated that he wants to gain control of Greenland, an idea first voiced in 2019 during his first presidency, arguing that it is vital for the US military, and that Denmark has not done enough to protect it.
A US military operation over the weekend in Venezuela that seized its leader has further rekindled concerns that Greenland might face a similar scenario.
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The White House told CNN that Trump believed Greenland was in a strategically important location that was critical for national security.
“He is confident Greenlanders would be better served if protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region,” a White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday (AEDT).
“The President is committed to establishing long-term peace at home and abroad.”
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego warned that the US had to take action to stop Trump.
“WAKE UP. Trump is telling us exactly what he wants to do. We must stop him before he invades another country on a whim,” Gallego said in a post on X.
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“I’m introducing a resolution to block Trump from invading Greenland. No more forever wars.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Denmark could count on the solidarity of all of Europe on the issue of Greenland.
“No member should attack or threaten another member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Otherwise, NATO would lose its meaning if conflict or mutual conflicts occurred within the alliance,” Tusk told reporters in Warsaw.
The Netherlands also fully supports the joint statement, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X.
To fend off US criticism over Greenland’s defence capabilities, Denmark last year pledged 42 billion Danish crowns ($9.79 billion) to boost its military presence in the Arctic.
However, in comments likely to alarm Washington’s European allies, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller brushed aside concerns about Danish sovereignty and international law.
“You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else. But we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” Miller told CNN on Monday (US time).
“There is no need to think or even talk about this in the context of a military operation. Nobody is going to fight the US militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller added.
Just hours after Saturday’s Venezuela operation, Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, posted a map of Greenland painted in Stars & Stripes on X, accompanied by the text “SOON”.
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of just 57,000 people, is not an independent member of NATO but is covered by Denmark’s membership of the Western military alliance.
The island’s strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a critical site for the US ballistic missile defence system. Its mineral wealth also aligns with Washington’s ambition to reduce reliance on Chinese exports.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Monday that his government was seeking to strengthen ties with the United States and that citizens should not fear an imminent US takeover.
-with AAP
