President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that Greenland should become part of the United States, despite calls from Denmark’s prime minister to halt what she described as threats to the territory. Trump’s comments come amid heightened tensions following Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela, raising concerns over Greenland’s strategic importance in the Arctic.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump emphasized that Greenland is essential for U.S. national security and criticized Denmark’s ability to manage the territory. Over the weekend, Katie Miller, wife of one of Trump’s top aides, posted an image of the Greenland flag colored like the U.S. flag with the caption “SOON,” further fueling diplomatic friction.
Denmark and the European Union expressed strong opposition to Trump’s Greenland agenda. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the suggestion that the United States should take control of Greenland “absolutely absurd” and urged Washington to stop threatening a historical ally. European leaders were also unsettled by Trump’s military operation in Caracas, which resulted in the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in New York, with Trump claiming the U.S. will now manage Venezuela and its oil reserves.
Trump highlighted Greenland’s significance due to its rich deposits of critical minerals essential for the technology sector, reinforcing his argument that the territory is needed for U.S. defense. When asked about the connection between the Venezuela operation and Greenland, he stated that the implications were for others to decide, but reiterated the strategic importance of Greenland.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen criticized Miller’s flag post as disrespectful, emphasizing that international relations should be based on mutual respect and international law rather than symbolic gestures that ignore Greenland’s status and rights.
