European leaders have issued a joint statement reaffirming that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, following renewed comments by US President Donald Trump about taking control of the Arctic territory.
The statement, released on Tuesday, was signed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the leaders of Italy, Spain and Poland. It states that “Greenland belongs to its people” and that only Denmark and Greenland have the right to decide the territory’s future.
The leaders called on the United States to ‘respect international law’, urging Washington to uphold the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.
Trump has argued that the US should control Greenland because of its strategic location and natural resources, and has suggested that Denmark cannot adequately protect the island. He has pointed to Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, claims which Moscow has rejected.
While backing Denmark’s position, the European statement stopped short of directly condemning U.S. ambitions. Instead, it described the United States as an essential partner in Arctic security and said NATO’s European members were increasing their efforts to keep the region safe and deter adversaries.
The muted language echoes the European Union’s response to recent US military action in Venezuela, when the bloc avoided condemnation and instead called for calm, restraint and ‘respect for international law’.
Frederiksen has previously said Trump must be taken “seriously when he says he wants Greenland”.
Image credit: Lara Jameson
…like pleading with a bully