Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen cautioned on Monday about the consequences of President Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, stating it could spell the demise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
In an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2, Frederiksen emphasized that Trump’s statements regarding Greenland must be treated with seriousness.
“I also need to be clear that if the U.S. decides to militarily assault another NATO nation, then everything ceases. That includes our NATO alliance and the security framework that has existed since World War II ended,” she stated.
President Donald Trump informed reporters aboard Air Force One this past weekend that he was considering the acquisition of Greenland, a Danish territory, citing “national security” reasons.
Leaders across Europe and the Nordic region rejected these comments. Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Denmark’s Ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, all reaffirmed their backing for Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland and insisted that only Greenland and Denmark should decide its future.
White House deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, defended Trump’s comments, asserting in a Monday interview that Greenland “should be part of the United States.”
CNN anchor Jake Tapper questioned Miller on whether the Trump administration could exclude the possibility of military action against the Arctic island.
“Greenland has a population of 30,000 people,” Miller responded. “The fundamental issue is on what grounds Denmark claims control over Greenland. What is the foundation of their territorial claim? What justifies Greenland being a Danish colony?”
“The United States is the leading force in NATO. For America to protect the Arctic region and to safeguard its own and NATO’s interests, it is evident Greenland should belong to the United States,” he continued.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen declared in a Monday Facebook statement that his nation is “not an object of superpower rhetoric.”
“We are a people. A land. And a democracy. This must be respected. Particularly by close and loyal allies,” Nielsen wrote in part of his statement.
“Threats, pressure, and annexation talk have no place among friends,” he added. “That is no way to address a people who have consistently demonstrated responsibility, stability, and loyalty. This has gone far enough.”