Denmark Faces Pivotal Crossroads as Trump Renews Threats Over Greenland
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has declared that her nation stands at a “fateful moment” amid escalating American pressure to acquire Greenland, warning that such threats from a NATO ally could undermine the entire Western alliance.
Speaking during a party leaders’ debate at a political event in Nyborg, Frederiksen described the situation as a crossroads with consequences far greater than immediately apparent. “We are at a crossroads, and this is a fateful moment,” she said. “What is at stake is bigger than what the eye can see, because if what we experience from the Americans is that they are actually turning their backs on the western alliance, that they are turning their backs on our Nato cooperation by threatening an ally, which we have not experienced before, then everything will stop.”
Frederiksen framed the issue as a clear moral choice in challenging times. “In our time, there will be a lot of setbacks where you can only choose between what is right and wrong, and this is one of them,” she added. She emphasized that Denmark is actively working to defend its stance “in an American reality” while remaining resolute, noting that the country has received substantial backing from other NATO members.
The remarks follow recent statements by US President Donald Trump, who on Friday asserted that the United States would proceed with action on Greenland “whether they like it or not.” He further stated: “We’re going to be doing something with Greenland, either the nice way or the more difficult way.” The Trump administration has consistently declined to exclude the possibility of military force, even though Denmark and Greenland fall under NATO’s collective defense umbrella.
ALSO READ : Trump Signals Potential Military Action as Iran Faces Widespread Unrest
In response, Greenland’s political leadership has presented a unified front. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, together with the leaders of the territory’s four other political parties, released a joint declaration affirming: “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders. The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders.”
The tensions precede a critical week of diplomacy, with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt scheduled to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Frederiksen noted that she has not addressed the Greenland issue with Trump since a phone conversation a year earlier.
Support for Denmark has also emerged beyond NATO. At a national conference in Sälen, Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned the “threatening rhetoric” directed at Denmark and Greenland, urging the US to appreciate Denmark’s longstanding loyalty as an ally. Sweden simultaneously announced a significant investment of approximately 15 billion Swedish kronor (£1.21bn) in bolstering its territorial air defense systems.
The ongoing dispute, characterized as a conflict over Greenland between long-standing partners, continues to test the cohesion of transatlantic security arrangements.