After U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and took him to a federal detention center in New York City — where he is facing drug charges — U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated another foreign policy goal: U.S. acquisition of Greenland, a territory of Denmark.
Trump is saying that acquiring Greenland is important to the United States from a national security standpoint. But Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphatically stated that Greenland will not become part of the United States. And a group of European leaders are speaking out as well.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, January 6, Frederiksen and others — including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Donald Franciszek Tusk, and ultra-conservative Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — said, "Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe, and it is critical for international and transatlantic security. NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority, and European allies are stepping up."
The statement noted that European leaders consider the U.S. a crucial and valuable part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and welcome U.S. input on Greenland, but they stressed that total U.S. acquisition of Greenland is not an option.
The leaders stated, "Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."
In response to the joint statement, The Wall Street Journal's Alex Ward warned that it has major implications for U.S./Europe relations.
In a January 6 post on X, formerly Twitter, Ward wrote, "When this many European leaders write such a joint statement to rebuke the U.S. over Trump’s desire to control Greenland, it signals that what was once a diplomatic annoyance for them has turned into a full-blown crisis."
Conservative Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) had an even more forceful reaction, tweeting, "It is embarrassing for the U.S. that this statement even has to be made. Denigrating our Allies serves no purpose and there is NO up side. It weakens us by diminishing trust between friends, and Russia and China love it. So… stop the stupid 'we want Greenland BS.'"