Greenland PM warns US still seeks control despite Trump's retreat

Monday 02 February 2026 - 17:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Greenland PM warns US still seeks control despite Trump's retreat

President Donald Trump's escalating demands for U.S. control over Greenland, including his repeated refusal to rule out military force, ignited an unprecedented transatlantic clash that prompted European allies to deploy troops to the Arctic territory and issue joint statements upholding Danish sovereignty. Though Trump has since dropped threats of force and tariffs, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen cautioned Monday that Washington's core aim to dominate the island persists unchanged.

The crisis escalated early this month when Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, asserted a U.S. "right" to Greenland and declined to exclude military action for its acquisition. In response, seven European leaders released a joint declaration on January 6 affirming that "Greenland belongs to its people" and Arctic security must be ensured collectively with NATO allies, including the U.S., respecting UN Charter principles like sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolable borders.

The statement, signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, marked the strongest show of European solidarity with Denmark to date, analysts noted.

Denmark countered with Operation Arctic Endurance, a military drill involving France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, and the United Kingdom. Macron confirmed French troops were already on site, set for reinforcement with air, naval, and ground assets.

Trump fired back with threats of 10% tariffs on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, slated to start February 1 and rise to 25% by June 1. Frederiksen retorted firmly: "Europe will not be blackmailed."

Tensions eased after Trump's January 21 speech at the Davos World Economic Forum, where he pledged no use of force to acquire Greenland. Following talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump outlined a framework for a future deal and paused tariff threats.

Denmark and Greenland both clarified no sovereignty-altering agreement exists. Diplomatic talks began January 28, with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen calling initial meetings "very constructive" while deeming sovereignty a "red line." Macron labeled the episode a "strategic shock" for Europe, urging faster rearmament and greater strategic autonomy. At Saturday's Alfalfa Club dinner, Trump reportedly quipped, "We're not invading Greenland. We're buying it" yet Nielsen's Monday warning signals the issue remains unresolved.