Greenland government rejects any US takeover

January 12, 2026 / 9:30 PM

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Greenland’s government on Monday firmly rejected the idea of a US takeover of the Arctic island “under any circumstance,” following repeated comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting that the United States could acquire the territory.

Trump has argued that the Danish autonomous territory is strategically crucial for US national security, and has threatened to bring it under American control.

“The United States has once again reiterated its desire to take over Greenland. This is something that the governing coalition in Greenland cannot accept under any circumstance,” the Greenlandic government said in a statement.

Trump warns of competition from Russia and China

On Sunday, Trump warned that if the United States didn’t take Greenland, “Russia or China will, and I'm not letting that happen.” He added that he would be open to making a deal with the Danish self-governing island, but emphasized, “one way or the other, we're going to have Greenland.”

European support for Greenland and Denmark

Last week, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement with Denmark to back Copenhagen and Greenland against Trump’s takeover proposals.

“On the basis of the very positive declaration from the six NATO member states regarding Greenland, the Government of Greenland will intensify efforts to ensure that the defence of Greenland is carried out within NATO,” Monday’s statement read.

“Greenland will always be part of the Western defence alliance,” the government added.

Strategic importance and historical context

Denmark and other European allies have expressed shock at Trump’s threats over the strategically important island, which hosts a US military base dating back to World War II.

A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained home rule in 1979 and is considering gradually loosening its ties with Denmark. Public opinion in Greenland strongly opposes any US takeover.