The US president’s latest threat came a day after Washington bombed Venezuela and abducted the president.
Published January 4, 2026
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called on US President Donald Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland, after the US president reiterated his desire to do so following Washington’s abduction of the Venezuelan leader.
“It makes no sense at all to say that the United States needs to occupy Greenland. The United States has no right to annex any of the three countries of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Frederiksen said in a statement on Sunday.
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The comments follow an interview published by The Atlantic in which Trump said, “We absolutely need Greenland. We need it for our defense.”
On Saturday, the United States bombed Venezuela and toppled President Nicolás Maduro, raising fears in Denmark that the same thing could happen to Greenland, a Danish territory.
“Therefore, I urge the United States to end its threats against our historically close allies and against other countries and peoples that we have clearly stated are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.
Greenland’s Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately comment on President Trump’s recent remarks.
The US president has repeatedly called for Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory and NATO member, to become part of the US.
Last month, the Trump administration appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, an outspoken supporter of annexation, as special envoy to the mineral-rich Arctic island.
Greenland’s strategic location between Europe and North America makes it a key hub for the United States’ ballistic missile defense system, and its mineral wealth is attractive as the United States seeks to reduce its dependence on Chinese exports.
Katie Miller, wife of President Trump’s chief of staff Stephen Miller, posted a controversial image to her X-feed on Saturday depicting the autonomous region of Denmark in the colors of the American flag.
Her post was accompanied by the word “soon.”
Stephen Miller is widely known as the architect of many of President Trump’s policies and guiding him on tough immigration and domestic policies.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen criticized the post, calling it “disrespectful”.
“Relations between states and peoples are built on mutual respect and international law, not on symbolic acts that disregard our status and rights,” he said in X.
But he also said: “There is no need to panic, there is no need to be concerned. Our country is not for sale and our future will not be determined by social media posts.”
Jesper Moller Sørensen, Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, responded to the post on Sunday, saying he “expects full respect for Denmark’s territorial integrity.”
Sorensen said it was a sharp “friendly reminder” that his country had “significantly strengthened its commitment to Arctic security” and had been working with the United States to do so.
“We are close allies and should continue to work together as such,” he wrote.
