One day after U.S. forces captured Venezuela’s president in a military raid, Denmark’s Prime Minister issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump: if you attack Greenland, the NATO alliance ends.
“If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War,” Mette Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Sunday.
The comments followed Trump’s renewed insistence that America “absolutely” needs Greenland, and a provocative social media post by Katie Miller—wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller—showing Greenland covered in the American flag with the caption “SOON.”
The Threat Is Real
Trump hasn’t backed down from his Greenland ambitions since returning to office in January 2025. He’s repeatedly refused to rule out using military force to take the Arctic island, appointed a special envoy who openly supports annexation, and has criticized Denmark’s defense of the territory.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday. “You know what Denmark did for security lately? They added one more dog sled.”
The Venezuela operation made those threats feel less abstract. Hours after American forces captured Nicolás Maduro, Miller’s “SOON” post sent a clear signal about the administration’s territorial ambitions.
“I believe one should take the American president seriously when he says that he wants Greenland,” Frederiksen said.
Denmark Pushes Back
Frederiksen issued a formal statement Sunday calling Trump’s threats unacceptable: “The U.S. has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish kingdom. I therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally.”
She emphasized that Greenland is already covered by NATO’s collective defense guarantee and that Denmark provides the U.S. “broad access” through existing defense agreements. Denmark also committed $13.7 billion to Arctic security in 2025.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen was equally blunt: “When the President of the United States speaks of ‘needing Greenland’ and links us to Venezuela and military intervention, it is not only wrong. It is disrespectful.”
“Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric. We are a people. A country. A democracy. This has to be respected,” Nielsen added.
Why Greenland?
Trump describes Greenland as strategically critical, claiming it’s “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.” The island sits between North America and Europe and hosts Pituffik Space Base, a key site for U.S. missile defense systems.
Greenland is also mineral-rich, with deposits of rare earth elements the U.S. hopes could reduce dependence on Chinese exports—critical for everything from smartphones to military equipment.
But Greenland’s 57,000 residents have shown no interest in becoming American. A January 2025 poll found 85% oppose leaving Denmark to join the United States. The territory has had the right to declare independence since 2009 but remains part of the Danish kingdom.
The International Reaction
France, Sweden, and the European Union rallied behind Denmark.
“Greenland belongs to Greenland’s people and to Denmark’s people. It is up to them to decide what they wish to do. Borders cannot be changed by force,” said Pascal Confavreux, spokesman for France’s Foreign Ministry.
Denmark’s ambassador to Washington posted a “friendly reminder” about the two countries’ defense relationship: “We are close allies and should continue to work together as such. We expect full respect for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Defense experts who once dismissed Trump’s Greenland talk are now reconsidering.
“It wouldn’t be that hard for the US to put a couple hundred or a couple thousand troops inside of Greenland, and it’s not clear to me who could do anything about it,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at Defense Priorities.
What’s Next
Trump told reporters to wait “20 days” for more on Greenland, suggesting action may come around his January 20 inauguration anniversary.
Frederiksen’s warning about NATO’s potential collapse represents the strongest pushback yet from a European ally. The question now is whether Trump will test that red line—and what happens to the Western alliance if he does.
As one analyst put it: “After Venezuela, I’m not so sure anymore.”
