Several European leaders on Tuesday rejected US President Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting that Greenland should come under American control, reaffirming that the Arctic island belongs to its people and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
In a joint show of support for Denmark, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom stood alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in defending Greenland’s sovereignty. Greenland is a self-governing territory within Denmark.
The pushback followed renewed comments from the White House backing Trump’s long-standing position on Greenland.
Stephen Miller, the US deputy chief of staff, said on Monday that the island should become part of the United States, arguing that it was critical to American security interests.
“The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus,” Miller said in an interview with CNN.
His remarks came despite strong warnings from Frederiksen, who has said that any US attempt to take over Greenland would undermine the NATO alliance.
European leaders echoed that position, stressing that Greenland’s future cannot be decided without the consent of its people.
Trump’s latest comments resurfaced after a weekend US military operation in Venezuela, prompting fresh reactions from European capitals and from Greenland’s own leadership, which has repeatedly ruled out any change in sovereignty.
