Paris/Copenhagen (TDI): A group of six NATO member states rallied around Denmark’s assertion that Greenland “belongs to its people,” issuing a joint declaration on Tuesday.
In a strongly worded statement, leaders from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom emphasized that decisions about Greenland’s future rest solely with Denmark and Greenland’s own population.
The declaration underscored the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders, core tenets of international law enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Greenland, the world’s largest island with a population of around 57,000, is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
While it is not a NATO member in its own right, it falls under Denmark’s membership and is regarded as a strategically vital part of the alliance, particularly given its proximity to Russia and major Arctic sea routes.
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The reaffirmation of support comes against the backdrop of renewed public assertions by US President Donald Trump that the United States should annex Greenland, citing its strategic importance for national security and Arctic defense.
Trump’s remarks, amplified after the US military operation in Venezuela, have alarmed many of Denmark’s European allies and sparked fears of destabilizing NATO alliance.
Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has been particularly vocal in rejecting any suggestion of an external takeover, calling such talk “unacceptable pressure” and warning that a US attack on Greenland would constitute NATO’s end.
European capitals echoed Copenhagen’s concerns. French, German, and British officials reiterated that the future of Greenland must be determined by its people and Denmark alone, while stressing the importance of maintaining unity within NATO.
Several allies also emphasized that collective security in the Arctic should be advanced cooperatively among NATO members, including the United States, rather than through unilateral action.
Greenland’s own leadership sought to calm domestic anxieties, with Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen reassuring residents that there is “no reason for panic.”
