A short time after U.S. intervention in Venezuela on Jan. 3, 2026, President Trump has made multiple public statements on his intentions with Greenland.
“We are going to do something on Greenland. Whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland. And we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor.
— U.S. President Donald Trump
.sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 { display: flex; float: none; margin: 30px auto; width: 100%; border-color: #ff0000; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 p.quotespeaker { } .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 .pullquotepic { width: 250px; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 p.pullquotetext { font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 .largequote { color: #ff0000; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df1f46 .quotebody { width: 100%; }These were the president’s words spoken during a broadcast on Jan. 10, on Fox News.
The administration aims to control Greenland from a strategic standpoint, and has threatened to invade or take military action.
This is where the “strategic” advantage to having Greenland comes in. U.S. relations with Russia and/or China are, historically, not great. President Trump feels that Greenland is a vulnerable point of land that either of those countries could take action on, and aims to prevent it by means of U.S. control.
The administration’s concerns with this are understandable; however, it’s important to understand that a bad relationship with a country does not and should not rule out fairness, lawfulness, and diplomacy.
For the most part, Europe has seen Trump’s statements as an unwarranted threat.
According to the Guardian, Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Fredrik Nielsen, has addressed the push for Greenland.
“I don’t think this is the time to talk about it. We shouldn’t gamble with our right to self-determination when another country is talking about taking us.
— Jens-Fredrik Nielsen
.sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 { display: flex; float: left; margin: 30px 30px 30px 0; width: 50%; border-color: #000000; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 p.quotespeaker { } .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 .pullquotepic { width: 33%; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 p.pullquotetext { font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 .largequote { color: #888888; } .sno-pullquote-6968222df2660 .quotebody { width: unset; }Nielsen, Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark, stand with Greenland and have chosen to oppose the idea of U.S. control for the time being.
Many European countries and their representatives have put themselves on the side of the Kingdom of Denmark, and are choosing to protect Greenland’s independence from the U.S.
According to the Republic Francais Diplomatie, Seven European nations made a joint statement on Jan. 6, 2026 from representatives of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Denmark.
In a joint statement, these countries had this to say: “Greenland belongs to its people.It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
European governments across multiple allied countries have banded together to oppose Trump’s threats with diplomacy (Politico). They will lobby in Washington to discuss with the U.S. and NATO allies in order to come to a conclusion that hopefully resorts to suppressing America’s haste to obtain Greenland.
The U.S. is an ally to NATO, an ally to multiple European nations, and to go out on air and state that the U.S. requires control over Greenland is simply outlandish. As an ally, the U.S. literally houses no international right or lawfulness to take military action on Greenland, let alone threaten them.
Diplomacy needs to take its course, and the powers that be need to come to a rational conclusion to these controversies.
Further updates on discussion between Europe and the U.S. will come shortly. As of right now, lobbying is happening between officials from Denmark and Greenland in Washington. And there is continuous diplomacy in Europe opposing and lashing back on Trump’s administration, as well as more international engagement.