Watch the video, "Denmark's PM Urges Trump to ‘Stop the Threats’ of Annexing Greenland", on ABC News.

According to the article, the prime minister of Denmark called on President Donald Trump to "stop the threats" of the U.S. annexing Greenland. It comes after public comments from Trump and the wife of top adviser Stephen Miller garnered international attention.

Prime Minister Frederiksen’s Statement

"I have to say this very directly to the United States," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen recently wrote in a statement on X.

"It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the United States needing to take over Greenland. The U.S. has no right to annex one of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom.

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also released a statement, saying, "Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric. We are a people. A country. A democracy. This has to be respected."

In the Name of National Security

In an interview recently published in The Atlantic , Trump was asked about his repeated calls for the U.S. to annex Greenland in the name of national security, saying, "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense."

On January 3, Katie Miller, the wife of Trump's deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller, posted a picture on X of the American flag over the map of Greenland. She captioned the post, "SOON."

Prime Minister Nielsen referenced "disrespectful posts on social media" in his recent statement.

"We are open to conversations. But it must be through the right channels and with respect to international law. And the right channels are not random and disrespectful posts on social media," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Trump was asked about his comments on Greenland, to which he reiterated, “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It's so strategic right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

Asked how he’d justify taking the country, Trump claimed that it would be for national security and in the European Union’s best interest, too.

“I just say this, we need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security, and the European Union needs us to have it, and they know that,” he said.

Last month, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as his special envoy to Greenland, drawing contempt from Frederiksen and Nielsen.

"You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security," the leaders said in a joint statement at the time. "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders and the U.S. shall not take over Greenland."

Greenland has been in the Danish Kingdom since the early 18th century, but was granted home rule in 1979.

Greenland and Denmark are NATO Members

In her recent statement, Frederiksen noted that Denmark, and Greenland by extension, are NATO members, which makes them covered by the alliance's security guarantee.

"I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale."

U.S. Actions in Venezuela

The discourse surrounding Greenland comes after the United States conducted land strikes on Venezuela and the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife were captured and arrested.

They were brought to New York City, where they face a 4-count superseding indictment that accuses them of conspiring with violent, dangerous drug traffickers for the last 25 years.

Discussion Questions

  1. Although President Trump has claimed that annexing Greenland is necessary for “defense,” according to the following article, Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has urged the United States to increase it military presence in Greenland, but the Trump administration has showed little interest in the offer:

    “Trump Says Greenland Is about National Security”

    Greenland is rich in natural resources. It is known for its vast deposits of rare earth elements, which are crucial for high-tech industries, and has some of the world’s largest of these minerals. Additionally, Greenland contains significant reserves of zinc, lead, gold, iron ore, and oil and gas. In your reasoned opinion, are these resources crucial to the national security of the United States? If so, would that justify the United States’ annexation of Greenland? Why or why not?

    This is an opinion question, so student responses may vary.

    In your author’s opinion, whether Greenland’s resources are crucial to the national security of the United States is irrelevant, since Greenland is, essentially, an autonomous country (i.e., it can operate, make decisions, and govern itself independently, without direct external control). Officially, Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. While it has significant self-governance, Denmark retains control over foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy. Greenland was granted home rule in 1979 and further autonomy in 2009, allowing it to manage most of its domestic affairs.

    Your author sees no justification for U.S. annexation of Greenland. Full stop. To even attempt to do so would create chaos in geopolitical relations. It would also likely entice other foreign powers, such as Russia and China, to expand their global “footprint” and use the U.S. expansion as justification.
     
  2. Define NATO

    “NATO” is an acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It is a military and political alliance of countries from North America and Europe created to promote collective security.

    In NATO, member countries agree to protect one another from external attack; cooperate militarily and politically; and promote stability and security in the North Atlantic region. Its main purpose is collective defense, as expressed in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. An attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all members.

    The NATO alliance was founded in 1949, largely in response to security concerns following World War II.

  3. In your reasoned opinion, what should NATO’s response be to the Trump administration’s expressed desire to annex Greenland?

    NATO has 31 member countries, with the United States being an original member. Ironically, if the Trump administration attacks Greenland militarily to annex it, that would effectively mean that one member country (the United States) is attacking not only Greenland, another member country, but also essentially, per Article 5, all the other 29 member countries. 

    Officially, NATO decisions are made by consensus, meaning that all members must agree before deciding. With the United States as an outlier, it would mean that NATO would be presented with the vexing decision of whether to respond to the aggression of a member country. Presently, NATO can (and in your author’s opinion, should) use its position as a global leader in peace, order, and stability to speak out against imperialism (Imperialism is defined as a policy or practice in which a powerful country extends its control or influence over other territories or peoples, often through force, economic domination, or political pressure).