Greenland’s government and prime minister issued separate statements on Monday pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest comments about taking up the territory, which Trump has said will occur “a technique or one other.”
The Greenlandic government statement said it “cannot accept” the escalating U.S. rhetoric “in any way” and reaffirmed its position as each a component of Denmark and the NATO military alliance.
“As a part of the Danish Commonwealth, Greenland is a member of NATO and the defence of Greenland must due to this fact be through NATO,” the federal government statement said.
“The federal government coalition in Greenland believes that Greenland will endlessly be a part of the Western defence alliance.”
In a Facebook post, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen acknowledged the “international attention” on the territory’s future reflected its “strategic importance” for Arctic security.
Yet he underscored that discussions about strengthening Greenland’s defences should be held in “close cooperation” with all NATO allies, “including the US and in cooperation with Denmark.”
“We’re a democratic society that makes our own decisions,” Nielsen wrote. “And our actions are based on international law and customary law.”
The prime minister added it’s a “fundamental and firm line” that Greenland’s “security and defence belong inside NATO.”
The statements got here after Trump once more reiterated his argument that the U.S. must “take Greenland” while chatting with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
“In some way, we’re going to have Greenland,” Trump said, arguing a U.S. takeover would prevent Russia or China from doing the identical thing.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said Trump has not set a timeline for acquiring Greenland but added it’s a “priority for him.”
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and all over the world, enroll for breaking news alerts delivered on to you once they occur.
“Let’s not forget, it will not only be in the most effective interest of the US, but perhaps it will be in the most effective interest of Greenland as well to be a part of the US and guarded by the US,” she told reporters.
There’s already an American military presence in Greenland under a 1951 treaty that also allows the U.S. to expand its bases within the territory because it sees fit. U.S. military operations in Greenland are a part of collective NATO defences within the Arctic.
Trump said Friday that the U.S. would acquire Greenland “whether or not they prefer it or not,” and that “if we don’t do it the straightforward way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” appearing to allude to potential military motion.
Nielsen and Greenland’s party leaders responded with a joint statement saying the territory’s future should be decided by its people.
“We don’t need to be Americans, we don’t need to be Danes, we would like to be Greenlanders,” Friday’s statement said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s office said Saturday she had spoken to her Danish and Greenlandic counterparts “to reiterate Canada’s steadfast support for the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Anand is about to go to Greenland’s capital of Nuuk “in the approaching weeks” to open Canada’s latest consulate there, which is a component of Ottawa’s latest Arctic foreign policy.
Danish and Greenlandic envoys are expected in Washington this week for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and plans are also being put together for a bipartisan group of U.S. senators to go to Denmark.
Trump’s escalating rhetoric toward Greenland is testing the NATO alliance, which Danish and European officials in addition to foreign policy experts have warned may very well be ruptured permanently by a U.S. takeover.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters in Croatia on Monday that alliance members were discussing the subsequent steps to collectively keep the Arctic protected, but wouldn’t say if that will include a NATO mission to Greenland specifically.
“All allies agree on the importance of the Arctic and Arctic security,” Rutte said at a press conference.
Trump on Sunday dismissed questions on whether taking up Greenland would fracture NATO, framing himself because the one who “saved” the alliance by forcing allies to spice up their defence spending.
“I like NATO,” he said.
He then questioned “whether or not, if we would have liked NATO, would they be there for us? I’m unsure they might.”
NATO’s Article 5 lays out the principle of common defence, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all of them. Article 5 has only been invoked once, within the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the US, resulting in NATO’s operation in Afghanistan.
Trump acknowledged in an interview with the Latest York Times last week that “it might be a selection” for the U.S. to pursue taking up Greenland or preserving NATO.
In recent days, Trump has said Russian and Chinese naval destroyers and submarines are encroaching within the Arctic and threatening Greenland’s sovereignty.
Asked in Beijing Monday about Trump’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning replied that “China’s activities within the Arctic are aimed toward promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development within the region and are in accordance with international law.” She didn’t elaborate on those activities.
“The rights and freedoms of all countries to conduct activities within the Arctic in accordance with the law ought to be fully respected,” Mao said, without mentioning Greenland directly. “The U.S. mustn’t pursue its own interests by utilizing other countries as a pretext.”
She said that “the Arctic concerns the general interests of the international community.”
—With files from the Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.