Greenland statement

European leaders’ Greenland statement in full after Trump threat: ‘belongs to its people’

The leaders issued a statement reaffirming that the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island ’belongs to its people’

Claudia Ciobanu & Stefanie Dazio

Several European leaders pushed back on U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments seeking an American takeover of Greenland.

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom issued a statement reaffirming that the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island “belongs to its people”.

The group joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in defending Greenland’s sovereignty in the wake of Trump’s comments about Greenland, which is a self-governing territory of the kingdom of Denmark and part of the NATO military alliance.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said on Monday that Greenland should be part of the United States in spite of a warning by Frederiksen that a U.S. takeover of Greenland would amount to the end of NATO.

“The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus,” Miller said during an interview with CNN on Monday afternoon.

His comments came after the Danish leader, together with Greenland’s prime minister and other European leaders, firmly rejected Trump’s renewed call for the island to come under U.S. control in the aftermath of the weekend U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

Here is the joint statement in full:

Statement by President Macron of France, Chancellor Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Frederiksen of Denmark on Greenland.

“Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security.

“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up. We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO.

“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.

“The United States is an essential partner in this endeavour, as a NATO ally and through the defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951.

“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”