Greenland Crisis
Since 2025, the United States under the second Trump administration has several times sought to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark (itself in the European Union),[a] triggering an international crisis. This escalated in early January 2026[3][4] replacement dell g3-3500 battery
after Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to annex Greenland[5][6][7] and threatened a 25% import tax on European Union (EU) goods unless Denmark ceded Greenland.[8][ replacement dell g3-3579 battery
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9] Trump’s statements sparked a confrontation with Denmark and the EU (supported by several other NATO members), reigniting earlier concerns of a US–EU trade war. On 21 January, Trump reversed his position at the 2026 Davos conference, pledging not to use military force against Greenland or to tariff any European countries.[10][11]
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Trump had unsuccessfully tried to purchase Greenland during his first presidency,[12] and after his 2024 re-election, Trump threatened several times to invade Greenland. Trump said “it may be a choice” whether to preserve NATO or seize Greenland[7] and that he “no longer [fel
replacement Dell g7 17-7790 batteryt] an obligation to think purely of Peace” after not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.[6] A report by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service mentioned the US as a potential threat to national security for the first time in its history[13][14] and raised concerns about reports that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had assigned agents to spy on Greenland.[15][16] replacement dell g3-3590 battery
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The Greenlandic and Danish prime ministers rejected any prospect of US takeover,[17] saying Danish troops would defend Greenland in the event of an attack.[18][19][20] Denmark said it would invoke Article 5 of NATO if attacked,[2replacement dell g3-3779 battery
1] and EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius said EU members would be required to assist Denmark.[22] Denmark and eight NATO allies deployed forces to defend the territory.[23] In response, Trump threatened a trade war against the EU,[24] leading European politicians to suspend a proposed EU–US trade agreement[25] and begin moves to impose sanctions on the US.[26] replacement Dell g5 15-5500 battery
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Trump’s threats led to large-scale protests against annexation in both Greenland and Denmark.[27][28][29][30][31] A YouGov poll found only 8% of Americans supported an invasion of Greenland, with 73% opposed.[ replacement Dell g5 15-5587 battery
replacement Dell g7 15-7500 battery32] Trump’s actions faced heavy opposition from both major parties in Congress, with Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson describing Trump’s threats as “completely inappropriate” and a bipartisan congressional delegation traveling to Copenhagen to support Denmark–US relations.[33][34][35]
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On 21 January, Trump reversed course following pressure from aides.[36] He ruled out the use of military force and abandoned tariff threats after talks with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte reached what Trump called a “framework of a future deal”[37][38] involving cooperation on defence and mineral development.[3replacement Dell g5 15-5590 battery
replacement Dell g5 5500 battery9] Greenland and Denmark said no deal altering the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark was on the table,[40][41] with Trump’s comments referring to pre-existing commitments from a 1951 US–Denmark treaty.[42][43]
Background
Main articles: Greenland and Proposed United States acquisition of Greenland
Greenland is part of the Nordic region.
Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Absalon (F341) off the coast of Greenland
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Greenland’s head of state, King Frederik X, and the Greenland prime minister Múte Bourup Egede visit Pituffik Space Base and are greeted on the runway by US base commander Jason Terry, with Greenlandic, Danish, and US flags in the background, 29 June 2024. The King and the Prime Minister made a stop at the base when travelling to Qaanaaq in the north of Greenland and are wearing traditional Greenlandic blue anoraks. replacement dell g15-5510 battery
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Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, and has been associated with the Scandinavian kingdoms of Denmark and Norway for more than a millennium, beginning in 986 AD when Norse settlers from what is now Norway and Iceland settled Greenland.[44] The 13th century saw the arrival of the Inuit,
replacement dell g7-15-7590 battery the ancestors of today’s majority population. After around 400 years, the Norse settlement in Greenland is believed to have died out in the late 15th century, but the legends of it persisted in Scandinavia.[45] Scandinavian explorers reached Greenland again in the 17th century and Norwegian priest Hans Egede reestablished a permanent Dano-Norwegian presence in 1721, founding the town of Godthaab (now Nuuk).[4replacement dell g15-5511 battery
replacement dell g7-15-7588 battery5] Today’s population is mainly Inuit, with a smaller Danish population, and many people are of mixed Inuit and Danish origin. Greenlanders often have close family, personal and cultural ties to Denmark, with thousands living there.[46] replacement dell g15-5515 battery
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Greenland formally became part of the Kingdom of Norway in 1261, when the Norse inhabitants accepted Norway’s rule. Norway then entered a union with Denmark in 1380. Under the 1814 Treaty of Kiel, Greenland remained with the Danish Crown as part of the settlement with Sweden following the Napoleonic Wars. Denmark declared full sovereignty over all of Greenland, replacement dell g15-5520 battery
replacement dell g5-5500 batteryincluding the uninhabited parts, in 1921, in the aftermath of the Treaty of Versailles.[47] In 1933, Norway, which occupied part of Eastern Greenland, accepted a ruling of the Permanent Court of International Justice affirming Danish sovereignty over all of Greenland and renounced its claim.
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The 1953 Constitution of Denmark ended Greenland’s status as a colony, integrating it fully into the Danish state as a regular county, as part of decolonization efforts and with the consent of the Greenland Provincial Council.[47] In the 1979 Greenlandic home rule referendum, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland, leading to the establishment of a local government authority with responsibility for local matters, replacement dell g15-5521 battery
replacement dell g3-17-3779 batterybut Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with the central government in Copenhagen solely responsible for defence and foreign policy. In 2009, Greenland was recognised by the Kingdom of Denmark and under international law as a people entitled to external self-determination.[47] Most political parties in Greenland support independence from Denmark, with a draft replacement dell g15-5525 battery
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replacement dell g3-15-3590 batteryconstitution for an independent Greenlandic state presented by lawmakers in 2023.[48]
As part of the Nordic region and the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is an associate member of the Nordic Council. Greenland is one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union (EU). replacement dell g15-5535 battery
replacement dell g3-15-3579 battery Denmark is one of the twelve original founding member states of NATO and signed the Greenland Defense Agreement with the US in 1951, allowing the US military to operate in Greenland with Danish consent under a NATO framework.[49] replacement dell g16-7620 battery
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replacement dell g3-15-3500 battery At its peak, approximately 10,000 US military personnel were stationed in Greenland, including about 6,000 at what is now Pituffik Space Base. After the Cold War, Greenland became a lower strategic priority for the US, which gradually reduced its presence to roughly 150 personnel by 2026.[50]
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Denmark stepped up its Arctic defence and led a large NATO exercise in Greenland in 2025.[51] The exercise involved more than 550 soldiers, including special forces, from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, and Germany.[52][53] The Nordic countries also collaborate on Arctic defence through NATO exercises conducted across the region, such as the Joint Viking exercise in 2025.[54] In 2025, Denmark announced a 14.6 billion kr. plan to boost Arctic defence.[55] replacement dell g15-5510 battery
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Greenland is under the military command of the Joint Arctic Commander, Danish general Søren Andersen.[56] The Arctic Command has around 150 permanent personnel, but regularly deploys units from across the Danish Defence forces, including the Arctic Response Force with aircraft and ships that stand ready to support forces in Greenland. replacement dell g15-5511 battery
replacement dell g16-7620 battery [57] The Sirius Dog Sled Patrol special forces unit operates around Daneborg in the northeast of Greenland, a national park, but only comprises a small part of Danish and allied military capabilities in Greenland.[57] As of 2026, NATO members are in discussions about establishing a permanent NATO mission in Greenland, replacement dell g15-5515 battery
replacement dell g15-5530 battery Arctic Sentry, modelled on the Baltic Sentry, following a proposal by Germany.[58] Law enforcement in Greenland employs around 350 people.[59] As of 2026, hundreds of elite Danish combat soldiers trained in arctic warfare have been deployed to Greenland, including the Chief of the Royal Danish Army, replacement dell g15-5520 battery
replacement dell g15-5535 battery General Peter Harling Boysen, with Denmark stating its intention to send a “substantial contribution” of its armed forces there in response to the Greenland crisis.[60] Denmark said the deployment might stay in Greenland for 1–2 years.[61] replacement dell g15-5521 battery
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During the first Trump administration, United States president Donald Trump said that the US should buy Greenland. The governments of Denmark and Greenland clarified that Greenland is not for sale and cannot be sold under the Danish constitution, and the Danish government has always rejected such proposals, which Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called “an absurd discussion”.[12] Greenland has invited US investment, stating that “we’re open for business, not for sale”.[62] replacement dell G3 3500 battery
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In December 2024, president-elect Trump, before the onset of his second administration, reiterated his interest in the US assuming control of Greenland stating that “for purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”[63] replacement dell G3 3579 battery
History of US recognition of Danish sovereignty over Greenland
In the 1826 General Convention of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, between the United States of America and his Majesty the King of Denmark, the US recognised Greenland as one of the northern possessions of His Majesty the King of Denmark, and accepted the trade restrictions that Denmark imposed there.[64][65] In the Treaty of the Danish West Indies, signed in 1916, replacement dell G3 3590 battery
the US government explicitly recognised Danish sovereignty over all of Greenland.[47] In the 1941 US–Danish agreement, the US Government “reiterate[d] its recognition of and respect for the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark over Greenland.”[66] In the 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement, the US again recognised the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark over all of Greenland.[67replacement dell G3 3779 battery
replacement dell G15 5525 battery][68] In the 2004 amendment to the Greenland Defense Agreement, the US recognised Greenland as “an equal part of the Kingdom of Denmark under the Constitution [with] a wide ranging Greenland Home Rule.”[69][66]
US actions against Greenland and Denmark
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US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance at Pituffik Space Base, March 2025
Since his reelection in 2024, Trump has refused to rule out an invasion of Greenland and engaged in actions and comments seen as provocations against Denmark.[70] Danish national broadcaster DR divided Trump’s plans to take over Greenland into three main phases, starting from December 2024: a charm offensive, pressure on the Danish government, and Greenlandic societal infiltration.[71] replacement dell G5 15 5587 battery
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Annexation threats
2025
In January 2025, before taking office, Trump stated he would not exclude using economic or military force against Greenland and that the US needed the territory for national security.[70] On 6 January 2025, he threatened to “tariff Denmark at a very high level” if it did not agree to Trump’s plan.[72] replacement dell G5 5505 battery
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On 11 January, Donald Trump Jr. went on a private visit to Greenland. Local media reported that his entourage passed out MAGA hats to locals and attempted to speak to residents on a speakerphone.[73][74] Pipaluk Lynge, a Greenlandic member of parliament, called the visit “staged”.[replacement dell G5 5590 battery
replacement dell G15 5511 battery74] Berlingske reported that an American military person asked the Joint Arctic Command to provide information about Greenlandic infrastructure.[75] replacement dell G7 15 7500 battery
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In the following months, Republican congressman Buddy Carter introduced a bill in the US Congress to advance efforts to annex Greenland and rename it Red, White, and Blueland[76][77] and US Vice President JD Vance visited, without invitation, the Pituffik Space Base, where he gave a speech about how Denmark had failed Greenlanders.[71] Vance’s visit was condemned by Greenlandic and Danish politicians, and described as a provocation.[78][79][8replacement dell G7 15 7588 battery
replacement dell G7 7790 battery0][81][82] In connection with the visit, commander Susannah Meyers, the highest-ranking US officer in Greenland, said the Trump administration’s threats against the Kingdom of Denmark “are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base”. In response, Meyers was fired by Trump.[83][84] replacement dell G7 7590 battery
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Denmark accused the Trump administration of conducting covert marketing campaigns intended to persuade Greenlanders to secede from Denmark.[85][16] US influencers handed out dollar bills in the streets of Nuuk.[86] replacement dell g3-3579 battery
replacement dell g16-7630 battery This led to least three American men with connections to Trump to be monitored by the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) for attempting to infiltrate Greenland, with the purpose of creating discord with Denmark by exploiting existing or fabricated disagreements.[71][87]
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In December 2025, Trump appointed Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland.[88] The role was described as informal and one-sided.[89] Landry said he would work to make Greenland part of the US[90] and intended to attend, uninvited, a traditional dog sled race.[91] Denmark summoned the American ambassador, Ken Howery[92
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replacement dell g15-5530 battery] and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called Landry’s statements “completely unacceptable”, adding, “we insist that everyone – including the US – must show respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark”.[93][94] replacement dell g3-3500 battery
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2026
Further information: Dear Jonas
White House operative Stephen Miller was described as being a driving force behind Trump’s threats to invade Greenland.
Right after the 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela in early January, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated that the US has the right to take Greenland.[95][9replacement dell g3-3590 battery
replacement dell g15-5521 battery6] His wife Katie Miller published a map of Greenland covered in the US flag with the word “SOON”, which drew widespread condemnation.[97][98] The Trump administration threatened military action to take control of Greenland as an option,[99] while Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark.[1replacement dell g3-3779 battery
replacement dell g15-5520 battery00] Trump ordered the Joint Special Operations Command to make plans for what he called a “possible invasion of Greenland”. The move was met with resistance from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.[101]
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A few days later, Trump claimed that “I don’t need international law” and that it “may be a choice” for the US between seizing Greenland or preserving NATO.[7] Trump said existing treaty rights are insufficient, arguing that full ownership is “psychologically needed for success”[7] and that the US would “do something” on Greenland “whether they like it or not”.[102][1replacement dell g5-15-5587 battery
replacement dell g15-5511 battery03] The president also said that he would take Greenland “the hard way” if Denmark does not give up its territory,[104] claiming that “the fact that [Denmark] had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean they own the land”.[105] Trump was quoted saying “One way or the other, we are going to have Greenland” and that “we’re talking about acquiring, not leasing, not having it short-term”.[106] replacement dell g5-15-5590 battery
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Republican congressman Randy Fine proposed that the US annexes Greenland, in what he called The Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act.[107][108] In response, the Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that Greenland had no wish to become part of the US. Trump proceeded to threaten him and denied he knew Nielsen.[109][110replacement dell g5-15-5590 battery
replacement dell g7-17-7790 battery][111] Trump officials again threatened that the US president could take action against Greenland within weeks.[112]
Letter from Donald Trump to Norway
Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, replacement dell g5-se-5505 battery
replacement dell g7-17-7700 battery I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents[breplacement dell g7-15-7500 battery
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replacement dell g7-15-7590 battery] it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT[113] Replacement Dell G3 3590 keyboard
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Donald Trump
In mid-January, Trump posted on his website Truth Social “NATO: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW!” and reiterated false claims that the Danish Defence forces protecting Greenland consists of “two dogsleds”.[1Replacement Dell G5 5500 keyboard
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14][115] He said he would impose tariffs on countries that participated in Operation Arctic Endurance; a 10% import tariff would be imposed on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland starting 1 February 2026, and it would increase to a 25% tariff on 1 June unless Denmark agreed to sell Greenland to the US.[116][117][8]
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In a message to the Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre, that Trump asked be shared widely with world leaders, Trump reiterated his demand for “Complete and Total Control of Greenland [sic]” and ascribed his own attitude therein to not being awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, writing that he no longer feels an “obligation to think purely of Peace”.[118][1Replacement Dell G5 5587 keyboard
19][113] Støre said that “I have several times clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is an independent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize.”[120] The prize is awarded for the previous year, before Trump commenced his second term.[121] Replacement Dell G3 3579 keyboard
On 19 January, Trump again refused to rule out invading Greenland and reiterated his tariff threats.[122][123][124] On 20 January, Trump reiterated threats, stating that there is “no going back” on his plan to annex Greenland, claiming “Greenland is imperative for national and world security”.[12Replacement Dell G5 5590 keyboard
5] Trump also indicated that what he called the UK’s “stupidity” in transferring the Chagos Islands to Mauritius justified his demands on Greenland.[126] Trump posted an image of a map showing Canada and Greenland as part of the United States and an AI image of him along with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting a flag of the United States on Greenlandic soil.[127][128][129]
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Trump had asked the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine to present potential options and the impacts of using military force to seize Greenland, ultimately resulting in Trump deciding against an invasion, Trump administration officials told NBC News.[130]
Trump’s reversal at Davos
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See also: 56th World Economic Forum
At the World Economic Forum in Davos on 21 January 2026, Trump gave a speech containing numerous false claims about Greenland, Denmark and NATO.[131] He falsely claimed that Greenland is a US territory, despite it being associated with the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway for over a millennium, which was inherited by the Danish Unitary State, and later by modern-day Danish Realm.[13Replacement Dell G7 7588 keyboard
Replacement Dell G15 5520 keyboard2] He stated he would not use military force in his attempt to annex Greenland, while not ruling out economic coercion, insisting on “immediate negotiations” despite Denmark telling him Greenland is not for sale.[133] He appeared to issue a veiled warning to European leaders, stating that they could consent to Washington’s annexation of Greenland and earn America’s gratitude, or refuse and face the assurance that the US would “remember.”[1Replacement Dell G7 7590 keyboard
Replacement Dell G15 5515 keyboard34] During his speech, Trump also appeared to repeatedly confuse Iceland with Greenland.[135][136][137]
Shortly after, Trump abruptly announced he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland”[11][138] and withdrew his threats of punitive tariffs against NATO members.
Replacement Dell G15 5511 keyboard [138] Trump said the proposed deal involved military cooperation related to his Golden Dome project and cooperation between Greenland, the US and European allies on mineral development.[39Replacement Dell G7 7790 keyboard
Replacement Dell G15 5510 keyboard] The New York Times reported Rutte and top military officers of NATO member states had been discussing “a compromise in which Denmark would give the United States sovereignty over small pockets of Greenlandic land where the United States could build military bases”. Replacement Dell G3 3500 keyboard
The idea was compared to Arotiri and Dhekelia, the UK’s bases in Cyprus which are regarded as British territory.[139] Rutte said his discussion with Trump did not cover control of Greenland, instead focusing on broader Arctic security.[140] Danish and NATO officials denied that any deal had been formed that would compromise the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland.[40][1
Replacement Dell G15 5535 keyboard41] Both Danish and Greenland officials said sovereignty is not negotiable.[142] Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede had previously said the country would be open to strengthening its defence and mining ties with the United States and was ready to start a dialogue with the United States.[143]
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EU lawmakers said they would need greater clarity about Trump’s intentions, with Bernd Lange stating that “nobody knows exactly what the details of this so-called solution or deal are.”[144]
Aaja Chemnitz, one of Greenland’s two members of the Danish parliament, said Trump’s statements were “completely crazy” and denied the existence of any “deal,” stating that “NATO has no mandate whatsoever” to negotiate anything on behalf of Greenland. She said that “total confusion” was being created by Trump’sdell g3 3500 keyboard fan covers
g15 5535 keyboard fan covers statements.[41] Chemnitz’ statement was echoed by another MP who said the claim of a “deal” is “not real” and described the meeting as “not real negotiations, it’s two men who have had a conversation.”[14
g15 5531 keyboard fan covers5] According to Sky News, the supposed deal referred to a meeting where “pre-existing commitments in the 1951 US–Denmark treaty were reemphasised and European nations re-committed to increase their own defence of Greenland”, while highlighting the “serious damage to the trans-Atlantic alliance” inflicted by Trump.[4g3 3579 keyboard fan covers
g15 5531 keyboard fan covers2] A NATO spokesperson said “discussions among NATO allies on the framework [Trump] referenced will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of allies, especially the seven Arctic allies.”[146] Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasized that “nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.”[147] g3 3779 keyboard fan covers
Trump’s comments in Davos were described as a great climbdown.[148][149] Reuters reported that his reversal of policy followed pressure by his own aides opposing an invasion of Greenland.[36g5 5500 keyboard fan covers
g15 5521 keyboard fan covers] Former US NATO ambassador R. Nicholas Burns said Trump had clearly backed down in the face of tough military, economic and political resistance from the Europeans that the Trump administration had not calculated.[43] Trump’s behavior during 2025 and 2026 was described as having damaged the US standing in the world and how allies see the US in the long term,[15g5 5590 keyboard fan covers
g15 5520 keyboard fan covers0] while resulting in no other outcome than maintaining Greenland’s status quo.[43] CNN reported that no actual document exists yet and that the information available indicates that the supposed deal “sounds a lot like what the United States already had,”[151] and described the affair as “one of the most erratic episodes involving a modern president on the world stage”.
g15 5515 keyboard fan covers [152] Greenlandic politician Tillie Martinussen said that “we can never really trust America again.”[153]
Trump’s reversal was widely referred to as a TACO moment.[152][154][155] The New York Times argued that it showed the “limits of his coercive powers.”[156]
Response
Danish legal framework
The chairman of the Defence Committee, Conservative Rasmus Jarlov, said that Denmark would defend its territory and invoke Article 5 of NATO if attacked by the US.[21] g7 7558 keyboard fan covers
Thomas Crosbie, a US military expert working at the Royal Danish Defence College, stated that any attempt to seize Greenland would constitute a criminal act, and that Denmark, with the backing of its allies, would have the legal right to arrest any Americans involved in such actions and prosecute them under Danish criminal law.[157] g7 7590 keyboard fan covers
g15 5500 keyboard fan covers Danish troops in Greenland are legally obligated to defend Danish territory under military law. Under a 1952 standing order, Danish troops are ordered to “immediately take up the fight without waiting for, or seeking orders” in “the event of an attack on Danish territory”.[15g7 7700 keyboard fan covers
7][57] The Danish government confirmed in January 2026 that the order remains in place and that Danish soldiers would shoot back if Greenland is attacked.[18]
The Ministry of Defence said Danish troops would immediately respond to an invasion of Greenland with force and the chairman of the Defence Committee, Rasmus Jarlov, said Denmark would invoke Article 5 if attacked by the US.[ G15 5511 keyboard
G3 3500 keyboard19][21] Jarlov said a US attack would mean war with Denmark and that retaliation would include deadly force.[158] As of January 2026, Article 5 has been invoked only once in NATO history: in response to the September 11 attacks on the US in 2001, G15 5515 keyboard
G3 3579 keyboard when Denmark volunteered “to fight alongside American soldiers in two different conflicts … [deploying] tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq over two decades … [suffering] the third-highest per capita casualty rate”.[159]
Military and intelligence response
Kingdom of Denmark
General Peter Harling Boysen, the Chief of the Royal Danish Army, arrived in Greenland with a “substantial” force on 19–20 January 2026, saying he is ready to defend Greenland. General Boysen has extensive experience from international warzones and special operations.[20] G15 5520 keyboard
Shortly after the start of the crisis, the Danish Realm began rapidly expanding its military capabilities in the Arctic. On 27 January 2025, governments in the Danish Realm agreed to the First Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic, which invested a total of kr. G15 5525 keyboard
G5 5590 keyboard14.6 billion (US$2.05 billion) into warning systems in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, new naval vessels, drone warfare training, a new radiation monitoring station in East Greenland, upgrades to the Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk and intelligence, satellite surveillance, 2 new coastal radars, and Arctic basic military training in Kangerlussuaq.[160] G15 5510 keyboard
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, and Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen
This was followed by the Second Agreement on 10 October 2025, providing upgrades worth kr. 27.4 billion (US$4.26 billion) for improvements of what was presented in the First Agreement, alongside upgrades to Kangerlussuaq Airport, a new specialised Arctic unit under the Jaeger Corps of the Special Operations Command that could operate G7 7790 keyboard
G7 7590 keyboardanywhere in Greenland,[161] establishment of radar capability in East Greenland, establishment of a Greenlandic reconnaissance Unit, and the construction of a new undersea cable connecting Greenland to Denmark.[162][163]
In the summer of 2025, the Greenlandic government and the Danish Defence both announced that Greenland would have increased military presence by September, as part of Operation Arctic Light.[164][165] On 18 August 2025, the Ministry of Justice allocated a package worth more than kr. 850 million to their operations in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.[166] G15 5515 keyboard
G3 3590 keyboardAlongside promotions of general law enforcement and upgrades to courts, the package also provided funding for strengthening the PET’s activities in the North Atlantic, and provided new maritime equipment to Greenlandic and Faroese police in response to the secG15 5520 keyboard
G3 3500 keyboardurity situation in the North Atlantic.[166]
By 19 January 2026, a total of over kr. 88 billion (US$13.7 billion) had been committed to “strengthen defense and security in the Arctic”, with kr. 29,000,000,000 allocated to acquiring F-35 fighter jets alone, and kr. 27,800,000,000 for anti-aircraft warfare, according to the Ministry of Defence,[1G15 5525 keyboard
G3 3579 keyboard67][168] and at that point Denmark had sent 200 additional soldiers to Greenland.[169] On the same day, more soldiers together with the Chief of the Royal Danish Army, General Peter Harling Boysen, started arriving in Greenland, and Denmark announced that a “substantial contribution” of its armed forces would be sent there.[60][ G15 5510 keyboard
G5 5500 keyboard170] Also on 19 January, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and their Nordic Security ministers in Brussels about the situation in Greenland.[167] General Boysen said he is ready to defend Greenland.[20] According to Boysen, the soldiers landed in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland.[171] G7 7790 keyboard
On 20 January 2026, Denmark deployed additional troops to Greenland, sending dozens of soldiers and senior military leadership to the Arctic territory to reinforce its presence and participate in ongoing multinational exercises, increasing the Danish Armed Forces’ personnel stationed there amid heightened international tensions.[171] G7 7588 keyboard
G5 5587 keyboardThe same day, Greenland’s government mulled the creation of a task force with representatives from local authorities to prepare residents for potential disruptions to daily life, including guidance recommending that households keep five days of food supplies. Additionally, PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that a military conflict could not be ruled out.[172] G5 SE 5505 keyboard
The Joint Arctic Command announced plans to expand its military exercises, potentially conducting them on a year-round basis.[172]
International collaboration
Many NATO countries began deploying troops to Greenland as part of Operation Arctic Endurance in response to the crisis. Status as of 20 January 2026:
US
Greenland
Participants
Rest of NATO
On 14 January 2026, Denmark started to send military reinforcements to Greenland[173] to strengthen its military presence.[174] Later that day, it became known that both Sweden[175] and Norway sent military forces to support the Danish Defence in protecting Greenland.[1HP PX03XL Battery
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· HP TE04XL Battery 76] The Ministry of Defence on 14 January 2026 announced “an increased military presence in and around Greenland, comprising aircraft, vessels and soldiers, including from NATO allies”.[177] After consultations between a group of European countries,[178] Germany announced it was sending a small contingent to Greenland on a reconnaissance mission with other European nations.[ HP SG03XL Battery
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· HP RR03XL Battery 179] On 15 January 2026, a French military contingent arrived in Greenland.[23]
On 16 January, Danish F-35 and French A330 MRTT jets conducted a training mission in southeast Greenland.[180] On 17 January, Major General Søren Andersen stated that at least 100 units have arrived in Nuuk, and another 100 in Kangerlussuaq.[181] By 18 January, the deployment involved Belgium,[182][1HP BI03XL Battery
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· HP SR04XL Battery 83] France, Germany,[184] Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Slovenia, and Iceland, with Estonia’s deployment yet to be executed.[185] French President Emmanuel Macron stating that the deployment would soon be reinforced with land, air, and sea assets as part of Operation Arctic Endurance.[23] Denmark is planning a larger and more permanent NATO presence.[186][187] HP CM03XL Battery
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Despite Poland’s recent interest and participation in military exercises in the Arctic region, and having signed a bilateral defence agreement with Denmark in the 1990s, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland would not deploy troops in Greenland.[188][18HP CI03XL Battery
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· HP HT03XL Battery 9][190] This decision was criticised by former Major General Roman Polko as “sheer cowardice”, to which Kosiniak-Kamysz defended it as protecting NATO unity.[191][192] On 18 January, Germany’s reconnaissance team returned to Germany,[193] with the Bundeswehr stating that the mission to plan for future engagements had been “completed, as planned”.[194][1HP MB04XL Battery
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95] On 19 January it became known that Canada considered sending troops to Greenland to reinforce Danish sovereignty.[196] On the same day, NORAD announced that it would deploy their aircraft to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland for long-planned activities, describing the deployment as routine and coordinated with the Kingdom of Denmark with diplomatic clearances and with the Government of Greenland informed of the planned operations.[197] HP NP03XL Battery
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On 21 January France proposed a larger NATO exercise in Greenland and said they are willing to participate.[3]
Invasion preparedness
The Greenlandic government has asked citizens to prepare for a possible attack on Greenland by the US, including by stockpiling supplies.[198]
“Hands off Greenland” anti-Trump protests
Main article: Hands off Greenland protests
Anti-Trump Hands off Greenland protests in Copenhagen, 2026
Large anti-Trump protests, named “Hands off Greenland”, took place across Greenland and Denmark on 17 January to protest against Trump’s threats against Greenland.[25] The solidarity protests are organised by Greenlandic associations in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and Nuuk.[19HP BT04XL Battery
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9][200] Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark, said the aim of the protests is to send a message of respect for Greenland’s democracy and fundamental human rights.[201] In Copenhagen, thousands of Greenlanders and Danes filled City Hall Square.[20
· HP KB06XL Battery 2][25] Protesters chanted “Greenland is not for sale” and “Kalaallit Nunaat” and marched to the US embassy in Copenhagen in solidarity with Greenlanders.[203][204][205] The slogan “Make America Go Away” soared in popularity in response to the protests, becoming a symbol of anti-Trump defiance.[206][207][208][209][210][18HP LE03XL Battery
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US–EU trade war
In response to Operation Arctic Endurance and European countries’ refusal to support his annexation of Greenland, Trump threatened to increase tariffs[211][6][4] against several EU and NATO members,[24][212] reigniting concerns of a US-EU trade war.[213] Trump said he would impose tariffs on any trading partner that did not support the idea of a US invasion and military occupation of Greenland.[214][215]
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] Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Europe will not be blackmailed by Trump.[228] A joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom emphasised the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and accused Trump of creating a “dangerous downward spiral” with his threats.[229] Dell 1p6kd battery
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· Dell 5041c battery [230] On 18 January, EU ambassadors from all 27 member states held an emergency meeting on Trump’s threats.[231] After Trump reversed his decision on implementing tariffs, EU officials were skeptical,[232] but announced on 22 January that approval of the trade agreement would resume.[233][234] Dell 1vy7f battery
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Anti-Coercion Instrument
Several European leaders including France’s Emmanuel Macron advocate using the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, a security and trade policy tool known as the “trade bazooka”, to target the US in retaliation.[235][236][237][26][238] Under the not-previously-used instrument, the EU may adopt countermeasures, sometimes described as sanctions, including tariffs, restrictions on public procurement, and measures affecting trade and investment.[229][239] Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade, supports its activation.[24Dell 2XXFW battery
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· Dell 829mx battery
· Dell 05041C battery0] By 21 January EU countries were described as being increasingly open to using the ACI against the US, with Germany stating it will ask the Commission to explore its use.[241]
US opposition
Senior Republicans as well as Democrats described Trump’s tariff threats as bad for the US, bad for business, and a strategic gift to Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.[242] On the other hand, Trump said that Greenland is a US national security priority because he does not want Russia or China as neighbours,[243] although Russia is already a neighbour of the US; at their closest points, the US island of Little Diomede and the Russian island of Big Diomede in the Bering Strait are only 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away from each other.[2Dell 3dddg battery
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Russian reaction
Russia welcomed Trump’s tariffs against his NATO allies, with Kremlin officials saying it was evidence that the transatlantic alliance was collapsing.[248] The Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta praised Trump’s push to take over Greenland and welcomed the strain it was causing between the US and Europe.[249]
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Reactions
Main article: International reactions to the Greenland crisis
Kingdom of Denmark
From left to right: Prime Ministers Mette Frederiksen, Aksel V. Johannesen, and Jens-Frederik Nielsen in Finland, May 2025.
On 16 and 17 June 2025, the governments of Greenland, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands participated in their biannual meeting in Tórshavn in light of the crisis.[250] While Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen didn’t want to elaborate on her negotiations with Greenland and the Faroe Islands at the time, she called for unity among all three governments of the Kingdom of Denmark, with Faroese PM Aksel V. Johannesen calling for more foreign policy autonomy for the Faroe Islands.
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In response to US threats against Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reminded Trump that an attack on the Kingdom of Denmark is an attack on NATO and that all members are obligated to come to Denmark’s defence, urging the US to cease its threats,[251] Dell 4gvmp battery
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· Dell 33ydh batterywhich threaten the existence of NATO and the security framework established since the end of World War II.[252][253]
The official Danish threat assessment published by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service in 2025 for the first time mentioned the US as a threat to national security, alongside Russia and China.[13][254][2Dell 4wn0y battery
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· 55] In response to American influence operations, both Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and King Frederik X visited the Danish territory.[86] After Trump resumed his threats in December 2025, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen insisted on respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.[93][94]
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· Dell 10x1j batteryUS consulate in Nuuk. Danish politicians have called for its closure.
Danish politicians have called for closing the US consulate in Greenland over its role in undermining Danish sovereignty.[256] Former Danish foreign minister Per Stig Møller said Trump’s behavior has destroyed the US relationship with Denmark and compared it to German demands on Polish territory in the 1930s.[19Dell 5k9cp battery
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· 0] Former Danish European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager called Trump’s threats an existential threat for NATO and Europe.[257] Rasmus Jarlov stated in an interview that a US military invasion of Greenland would constitute a war, with Denmark and the US fighting each other.[258] Dell 5vc2m battery
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Former Danish prime minister and NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the US actions are widely seen as a betrayal in Denmark. Rasmussen emphasised that Greenland is not for sale, that Greenlanders don’t want to become part of the US and that the only way for the US to take it would be to invade the Kingdom of Denmark and destroy NATO. Dell 6gtpy battery
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· Dell 8fctc batteryHe said Denmark has no other choice than to defend its territory, and that non-resistance is not an option.[259] He further said that Trump is “the biggest threat to world peace.”[260] He said Trump speaks like a gangster in his threats against Greenland.[261][4Dell 7d1wj battery
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· Dell 7t8cd battery] He also stated that time for “flattering Trump” was over while suggesting hard economic actions by Europe.[262] He also suggested the establishment of a “European NATO” without the US.[260]
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On January 23, 2026, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Greenland to express support for the people and the island’s self-governing government, following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump indicating his willingness to annex the territory. Trump had previously discussed strengthening security in the Arctic region with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Dell alienware-m15-p79f battery
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· Dell g7-7590-d1765b batteryBoth the Danish and Greenlandic governments have affirmed that the island’s sovereignty is indisputable, but remain open to discussions on issues such as security and economic development. The crisis eased after Trump withdrew threats of force and new tariffs.[263] Dell c5kg6 battery
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Greenland
Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that Trump would not “get” Greenland.[264]
In response to US threats, Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Trump would not “get” Greenland and that it is not for sale.[264][265] The US threats have caused a pause in independence discussions, which Nielsen promoted during the previous elections.[265] The PM stated that, “when faced with the choice between US and Denmark, Greenland chooses Denmark”.[26Dell d4cmt battery
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· Dell g7-7590-d1745b battery6] A joint statement published by all parties in the Parliament of Greenland demanded that the US show respect and that they do not want to become part of the US,[267][28] that they “do not want to be Americans.”[268][269][270] Greenland has moved to ban foreign political funding in response to US interference.[271] Dell din02 battery
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2025 and 2026 saw large demonstrations against the US in Greenland, with Greenlanders emphasising that “we are not for sale”.[272][27] Demonstrators carried placards bearing the slogans “no means no”, “stop threatening us”, and “Yankee go home!”[27][28] Dell dj1jo battery
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· Dell g7-17-7700 batteryOn 12 January 2026, the government of Greenland issued a statement that they can “not under any circumstances” accept US demands for Greenland to become part of the US and that “Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark”, underlining the role of NATO in its defence.[22] The government welcomed the initiative by six NATO members (reported to be the UK, Germany, France, Italy, PoDell f3ygt battery
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· Dell g7-7590 batteryland, and Spain) to increase NATO activity in Greenland.[273][274][275]
In a joint statement on 13 January 2026, the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark said that Greenland was facing an “unacceptable pressure” campaign and a “geopolitical crisis” caused by the US. They said that Greenland is not under any circumstances for sale. Frederiksen said “our message is clear: Greenland is not for sale” and “you can’t buy another people”. Dell fpt1c battery
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· Dell g7-15-7500 batteryNielsen emphasised that talk about buying another people shows a lack of respect,[17][276] and that Greenland does not want to be owned nor governed by the US.[277] Greenlandic politicians have welcomed a NATO mission in Greenland to protect the island following Trump’s threats.[278] Dell g5 15-5587 battery
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Faroe Islands
On 21 November 2025, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen visited the Faroe Islands, where both parties discussed Faroese participation regarding the situation in Greenland.[279] Faroese Speaker of the Løgting Bjørt Samuelsen sent an official letter of support to their Greenlandic counterpart, Kim Kielsen.[280] Denmark and NATO did not deploy troops to the Faroe Islands as part of Operation Arctic Endurance.[281]
United States
Support
US President Donald Trump stated his belief that the EU would not “push back too much”.[282] US treasury secretary Scott Bessent stated that both NATO and Greenland were essential to United States national security.[283] Dell g7-7590-d3888b battery
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Opposition
Former CIA Director John O. Brennan said Americans are ashamed of Trump’s threats against Greenland.
Former CIA Director John O. Brennan called it “outrageous that we are threatening Denmark” and that there is a “sense of shame” among Americans over Trump’s international behavior.[19Dell g7-7790 battery
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· Dell inspiron 15-5582 battery0] US Republican senator Thom Tillis and Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, said that “the United States must honor its treaty obligations and respect Greenland and Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.[28Dell g7-7790-d1765b battery
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· Dell inspiron 15-5584 battery4][285] Republican senator Roger Wicker, the Senate Armed Services chair, said Trump’s threats to seize Greenland is “a topic that should be dropped”[33] and cautioned Trump against spending time “antagonizing allies”.[286] After meeting Danish officials, Wicker said it is clear that there’s no room for negotiation and that Trump’s attempt to obtain Greenland is not realistic.[287]
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Mitch McConnell, who led Trump’s Republican Party in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, characterised attempts to seize Greenland as “trampling the sovereignty, respect, and trust of our allies” and that “the use of force … would be an especially catastrophic act of strategic self-harm to America and its global influence”.[33][28Dell gjknx battery
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· Dell inspiron 15-3515 battery8][289] Republican senator Susan Collins and Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson called the threats and possible US military actions as “completely inappropriate”.[33] In mid-January, a delegation of US congresspeople from both major political parties, including senators Chris Coons, Lisa Murkowski, Jeanne Shaheen, and Thom Tillis, travelled to Copenhagen to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials to underscore the value of their partnership.[34][290] Former Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Dell gr5d3 battery
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· Dell inspiron 15-3511 batteryVerification, and Compliance Frank A. Rose, the last US official to negotiate a defence agreement with Denmark, said Trump’s behavior threatens to undermine the access the United States has to the Danish territory, since, under the 1951 agreement, the US already has all the military access it needs.[105]
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US Archbishop for the Military Services, Timothy Broglio, stated that American troops could in good conscience refuse orders to invade Greenland.
On 7 January 2026, US senator Ruben Gallego introduced a resolution in the US senate to block Trump from invading Greenland.[291Dell h76mv battery
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· ] A few days later, Democratic and Republican senators introduced the bipartisan No Funds for NATO Invasion Act, which prohibits the use of federal funds for the invasion of any NATO member state or NATO-protected territory,[292] as well as the bipartisan NATO Unity Protection Act to “prohibit the use of US Department of Defense or Dell inspiron 13-5301 battery
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· Department of State funds to blockade, occupy, annex or otherwise assert control over the sovereign territory of a NATO member state without that ally’s consent or authorization from the North Atlantic Council”, introduced by Republican senator Lisa Murkowski and Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen.[293] According to Murkowski, the Act seeks to stop Trump’s threats against Greenland.[ Dell inspiron 13-5391 battery
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· Dell inspiron 14-7400 battery294] A poll from YouGov in mid-January found that 8% of Americans support using military force to take Greenland from Denmark, while 28% of Americans support proposals to “buy” Greenland.[32] Timothy Broglio, the Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, and former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Trump’s actions tarnish the image of the US and that it would be morally acceptable for US soldiers to disobey “morally questionable” orders to attack Greenland.[29Dell inspiron 13-7390 battery
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· Dell inspiron 14-5482 battery5] Former Trump spokesperson Sarah Matthews said Trump’s Greenland threats are “the most mentally ill, deranged thing” he has done.[296]
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In particular, opposition lawmakers were quick to condemn the communique to Norway about the Nobel Prize, widely questioning Trump’s mental fitness for office: Andy Kim, who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, described it as “unhinged and embarrassing”, and Chris Murphy of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee as “the ramblings of a man who has lost touch with reality”.[12Dell inspiron 15-7000 battery
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· Dell inspiron g7-7588 battery0] American historian Anne Applebaum wrote that Trump is “maniacally, unhealthily obsessive” about the Nobel Peace Prize and uses it as justification for an invasion of Greenland.[297]
Gavin Newsom criticised Europe’s response to Trump’s tariff threats as weak and “pathetic” while speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in and called on EU leaders to present a unified and more assertive stance toward the US.[298]
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Experts said a US invasion of Greenland would violate US law and could spark a constitutional crisis.[299]
Expatriate Americans
Stephen Barnes, an American law professor based in Oslo, said that Americans in Europe now feel like Russians did in the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He expressed a deep sense of shame and embarrassment among Americans, adding that he considers the reaction justified.[300]
Potential third impeachment
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Republican congressman Don Bacon predicted an invasion of Greenland would lead to the immediate impeachment of Trump with Republican support.[289][301] Bacon said he would lean towards impeaching Trump and that many Republicans are angry about Trump’s threats against Greenland, emphasising that Trump would need to back off if he wished to save his presidency.[302] Dell inspiron 15-7570 battery
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European Union and NATO members
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (right) urged “the United States to cease its threats against a historically close ally”,[251] while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) said that the EU stands in “full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland”.[89]
The EU, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada have united behind Denmark,[25][89][303][304] and condemned the US threats.[305][306][307] The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU stands in “full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland” against US threats.[8Dell inspiron 15-7577 battery
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· Dell inspiron 7791 battery9] EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius warned that it would be the end of NATO if the US invaded Greenland and said that EU members would be under obligation to come to Denmark’s assistance.[22] European countries have united behind Denmark, emphasising that Greenland belongs to its people, not to the United States.[306][303]
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European Council President António Costa said the EU would support Greenland and Denmark when needed and that the EU would not accept violations of international law. European allies said they are working on a plan to support Denmark.[308][157] EU lawmakers have called for freezing a proposed trade deal with the US.[309]
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A joint statement, dated 6 January 2026, by President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark emphasised “sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders” and said that “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”[310Dell inspiron 17-7779 battery
· ][311][312] A joint statement by foreign ministers of the Nordic countries have echoed the same message.[313][314][315] Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen thanked the European allies for their support.[316]
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· Dell inspiron 7590 batteryUse of hybrid warfare
The Trump administration’s actions against Greenland and Denmark, initially referred to as the Greenland crisis,[321] have been described by academics and commentators as hybrid warfare,[322][87][323][324] a broad umbrella concept that may include the use of political warfare, fake news, diplomacy, lawfare, regime change, and foreign electoral intervention, among other methods. Greenland was united in condemnation of the US,[325] describing it as “an entirely new and unsettling situation”,[326] given that Greenland lacked realistic countermeasures.[327] Dell inspiron 5390 battery
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Danish media interviewed several experts who said that the US actions against Greenland clearly amount to hybrid warfare.[328] André Ken Jakobsson, a researcher on hybrid warfare, said, already in the spring of 2025, that “the tools the United States uses to achieve its objectives [in Greenland] also fall within the gray zone typically associated with hybrid warfare”.[329] Jakobsson believes the United States is now deliberately seeking to fracture the Kingdom of Denmark with the use of intelligence agencies[326] and that the US has been using all of its means short of conventional war in its campaign to try to get Greenland.[330]
Speaking on US hybrid warfare and espionage, DR commentator Niels Fastrup said that the US has shifted from an attempt to buy Greenland in 2019 to hybrid influence operations, conducted by private individuals close to Trump.[331] Swedish foreign affairs commentator and terrorism expert Wolfgang Hansson [sv] compared Trump’s actions to Russian hybrid warfare, stating that “Trump realized that taking over Greenland militarily would be expensive, risky, and look very bad, but hybrid warfare is cheap and easy to deny”.[332]
Implications for NATO
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin at the 2025 Alaska summit
Trump’s threats against Greenland have been described as a new, potentially unprecedented challenge to NATO,[44] given that the US military already has full access to Greenland, Denmark has been a very loyal ally of the US, and has kept Chinese investments and technology out of Greenland.[46] Former head of the NATO Defense College, Arne Bård Dalhaug, said that Trump’s threats against Greenland “comes across as a gift-wrapped present from Trump to Putin”, allowing him free hands in Eastern Europe.[333] According to international relations scholar Iver B. Neumann, Trump is splitting the West on behalf of the Russians, which has been a key aim of Russian and Soviet foreign policy for years.[333]
Anders Puck Nielsen, a military analyst at the Royal Danish Defence College, and Andrius Kubilius, the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, agree that, if an American invasion of Greenland was carried out, it will be the end of NATO.[334][335] Nielsen emphasised that it is now clear Denmark can no longer rely on the US, and that the future lies in a European defence cooperation without US involvement.[334]
Kori Schake said it will take a generation to repair the damage and collapse of trust among the US’s closest allies that Trump has caused.[190] Richard N. Haass said Europeans have come to see the US as a threat and no longer trust the US, and that Trump’s actions are “turning upside down” what America has worked for over 75 years.[336] In an editorial, The Wall Street Journal said Trump was enabling “the fondest dream of Russian strategy … to divide Western Europe from the US and break the NATO alliance.”[337] European leaders warned that Trump’s threats have fundamentally undermined trust in the United States as a security and economic partner, accelerating efforts to reduce reliance on them and to develop independent European defence, security, and political coordination structures.[338]
Christopher S. Chivvis, a senior fellow and director of the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that the tariff threat to facilitate a US annexation of Greenland represents a fundamental break with the post-1945 transatlantic order. He contends that by linking trade access to the territorial sovereignty of a NATO ally, the United States would shift from a security guarantor to a form of imperial power. Chivvis describes the demand as a revival of nineteenth century imperial practices, contrasting it with China’s tendency to frame its territorial ambitions as the recovery of historically claimed lands.[339]
David Ignatius argued that Trump’s efforts to annex Greenland had triggered a serious crisis that could undermine US security for decades, with potential costs far exceeding any strategic benefits of controlling the island. He characterised the initiative as self-destructive, remarking that it amounted to “shooting yourself in the head.”[340]
American expansionism under Trump
For broader coverage of this topic, see American expansionism under Donald Trump.
The escalation of American threats against Greenland has been linked by several commentators to the apparent success of the 2026 United States intervention in Venezuela.[341] Some commentators have also linked the Greenland Crisis to Trump’s threats against Canada. Former Premier of Ontario and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations Bob Rae stated that Trump “doesn’t take Canada’s sovereignty seriously”, while former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Gerald Butts stated that, although he didn’t believe Trump would invade Canada directly, “we’re going to see a lot of threats, and we’re going to see a lot of seeding of pro-American activity by the Americans in Canadian life”.[341] NBC News reported in mid-January 2026 that, according to senior American officials, Trump was “privately ramping up his focus on another target in the Western Hemisphere, increasingly complaining to aides in recent weeks about Canada’s vulnerability to US adversaries in the Arctic”.[342]
Aggressive negotiation tactics
Trump’s aggressive negotiation tactics have prompted comparisons with the madman theory. James D. Boys argues that Trump uses the theory, deliberately projecting unpredictability and issuing extreme threats to force concessions, citing Venezuela as an example of where defiance was punished, and warning that no country is immune, adding, “I’d be trying to stay well away from everything that’s going on with Greenland and the NATO alliance.”[343]
Use of trolling, disinformation and far-right rhetoric
An image posted by Donald J. Trump on his Truth Social account on 20 January 2026 during the Greenland crisis, showing him planting a US flag on Greenlandic soil
An image posted by the White House on 23 January 2026 during the Greenland crisis, showing Donald Trump walking along with a penguin carrying a US flag with a Greenlandic flag in the background.
As JD Vance and Marco Rubio met the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt, the White House posted a meme on Twitter with the question: “Which way, Greenland man?” with imagery implying a choice between the United States and an ominous-looking China and Russia. Heidi Beirich of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism described the meme as reflecting a key concept in neo-Nazi and white supremacist subculture, explaining that “Western man is code for white man, and one of the most popular racist books in these subcultures is Which Way Western Man, which has been featured in a Department of Homeland Security post celebrating manifest destiny.”[344]
Trump has engaged in online trolling, posting an altered image that features the US flag covering Canada, Greenland and Venezuela[345] and an AI image of himself planting a US flag in Greenland, marked as “US territory.”[129]
Paul Buvarp, a researcher on disinformation and propaganda at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, described Trump’s claims about imminent Chinese and Russian threats to Greenland as detached from observable reality and emblematic of information manipulation rather than genuine security analysis. Buvarp argued that the rhetoric functions as propaganda by deliberately creating uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion.[346]
Attitudes towards the US
Trump’s threats have been described by Le Monde as turning the Greenlanders decidedly against the US. While Greenland is a longtime ally of the US with a traditionally positive view of the country, the view of the US has become strongly negative as a result of Trump’s behaviour.[347]
Trade war
Political scientist Hilmar Mjelde called Trump’s actions a “political own goal of historic proportions”, and said he believes Trump has underestimated European steadfastness.[348] Annie Genevard said the EU has strong leverage and can retaliate in a trade war with the US, and that it could be “deadly for the United States”, emphasising that Europeans will not let the US do as it pleases.[349]
Suggested solutions
In legal analysis of the crisis, some commentators suggested sovereign bases as a solution,[350] similar to the United Kingdom’s retention of sovereign base areas in Cyprus, under which limited territory is held under foreign sovereignty primarily for military purposes.[351] Commentators suggested that such a model could allow a foreign power to exercise sovereign control over specific installations in Greenland without a broader transfer of territory, though the proposal was described as legally complex and politically contentious.[350]