| Greenland crisis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofAmerican expansionism under Donald Trump andUnited States–European Union relations | |||
 | |||
| Date | 20 January 2025 – present (1 year and 26 days) Escalation: 22 December 2025 – 21 January 2026 (30 days) | ||
| Caused by | Threats ofAmerican annexation of Greenland | ||
| Status | Ongoing
| ||
| Opposing parties | |||
| Lead figures | |||
Since 2025, thesecond Donald Trump administration of theUnited States has sought to annexGreenland, an autonomous territory ofDenmark (itself in theEuropean Union),[a] triggering aninternational diplomatic crisis. This escalated in early 2026[3][4] after Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to annex Greenland[5][6][7] and threatened a 25%import tax on European Union (EU) goods unless Denmark ceded Greenland.[8][9] Trump's statements sparked a confrontation with Denmark and the EU (supported by several other NATO members), reignitingearlier concerns of a US–EUtrade war. On 21 January, Trump reversed his position at the2026 Davos conference, pledging not to use force or tariffs to annex Greenland.[10][11]
Trumphad unsuccessfully tried to purchase Greenland during hisfirst presidency.[12] Afterhis 2024 re-election, in January 2026, he said "it may be a choice" whether to preserve NATO or seize Greenland[7] and that he "no longer [felt] an obligation to think purely of Peace" after not receiving theNobel Peace Prize.[6] A report by theDanish Defence Intelligence Service mentioned the US as a potential threat tonational security for the first time in its history,[13][14] and Danish officials raised concerns about reports thatDirector of National IntelligenceTulsi Gabbard had assigned agents to spy on Greenland.[15][16]
The Greenlandic and Danish prime ministers rejected any US takeover,[17] saying they would defend Greenland in the event of an attack.[18][19][20] BothNATO[21] andEuropean Union[22] members would be obliged to assist Denmark in the event of an attack. Denmark and eight NATO alliesdeployed forces to defend the territory.[23] In response, Trump threatened atrade war against the EU,[24] leading European politicians to suspend a proposedEU–US trade agreement[25] and consider placingsanctions on the US.[26]
Trump's threats led tolarge-scale protests in both Greenland and Denmark.[b] AYouGov poll found only 8% of Americans supported an invasion of Greenland, with 73% opposed.[32] Trump's actions faced heavy opposition inCongress from both major parties, with Republican speaker of the HouseMike Johnson describing Trump's threats as "completely inappropriate" and abipartisan congressional delegation traveling to Copenhagen to supportDenmark–US relations.[33][34][35] The crisis was described as one of the most erratic episodes involving a US president, prompting scrutiny ofTrump's age and fitness for office.[36][37]
On 21 January, Trump reversed course,[38] first ruling out military force and then abandoning tariff threats after talks with NATO secretary-generalMark Rutte reached what Trump called a "framework of a future deal".[39][40] Greenland and Denmark ruled out any deal altering the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark,[41][42] with Trump's comments referring to pre-existing commitments from a 1951 US–Denmark treaty.[43][44]
During thefirst Trump administration, United States president Donald Trump said that the US should buy Greenland. The governments of Denmark and Greenland clarified that Greenland is not for sale and cannot be sold under the Danish constitution, and the Danish government has always rejected such proposals, which Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen calling it "an absurd discussion".[12] Greenland has invited US investment, however, stating that "we're open for business, not for sale".[45]
In December 2024, president-elect Trump, before the onset of hissecond administration, reiterated his interest in the US assuming control of Greenland, stating that "for purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."[46]
Greenland is anautonomous territory of theKingdom of Denmark, and has been associated with the Scandinavian kingdoms of Denmark andNorway for more than a millennium, beginning in 986 AD whenNorse settlers from what is now Norway andIceland settled Greenland.[47] The 13th century saw the arrival of theInuit, the ancestors of today's majority population. After around 400 years, the Norse settlement in Greenland is believed to have died out in the late 15th century, but the legends of it persisted in Scandinavia.[48] This prompted KingChristian IV to sendan expedition to Greenland in 1605 to locate the lostEastern Norse Settlement and reassert sovereignty over Greenland. Norwegian priestHans Egede reestablished a permanent Dano-Norwegian presence in 1721, founding the town of Godthaab (nowNuuk).[48] Today's population is mainly Inuit, with a smaller Danish population, and many people are of mixed Inuit and Danish origin. Greenlanders often have close family, personal and cultural ties to Denmark, with thousands living there.[49]
Greenland formally became part of theKingdom of Norway in 1261, when the Norse inhabitants submitted to the King of Norway. Norway then entereda union with Denmark in 1380. Under the 1814Treaty of Kiel, Greenland remained with the Danish Crown as part of the settlement with Sweden following theNapoleonic Wars. Denmark declared full sovereignty over all of Greenland, including the uninhabited parts, in 1921, in the aftermath of theTreaty of Versailles.[50] In 1933, Norway, which occupiedpart of Eastern Greenland, accepted aruling of thePermanent Court of International Justice affirming Danish sovereignty over all of Greenland and renounced its claim.
The 1953Constitution of Denmark ended Greenland's status as a colony, integrating it fully into the Danish state as a regularcounty, as part ofdecolonization efforts and with the consent of theGreenland Provincial Council.[50] In the1979 Greenlandic home rule referendum, Denmark grantedhome rule to Greenland, leading to the establishment of a local government authority with responsibility for local matters, but Greenland remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with the central government in Copenhagen solely responsible for defence and foreign policy. As part of theNordic region and the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is an associate member of theNordic Council. Greenland is one of theOverseas Countries and Territories of theEuropean Union (EU). Greenlanders are Danish citizens and therefore alsoEU citizens.
In 2009, Greenland was recognised by the Kingdom of Denmark and under international law as apeople entitled to external self-determination.[50] Most political parties in Greenland favor independence from Denmark as a long-term goal, with a draft constitution for anindependent Greenlandic state presented by lawmakers in 2023, but the majority does not favor severing ties with Denmark in the short term.[51]
_underway_in_the_Atlantic_Ocean_off_the_coast_of_Greenland_on_16_August_2019_(190816-N-TJ319-1251).JPG)
Denmark is one of the twelve original founding member states ofNATO and signed the Greenland Defense Agreement with the US in 1951, allowing the US military to operate in Greenland with Danish consent under a NATO framework.[52] At its peak, approximately 10,000 US military personnel were stationed in Greenland, including about 6,000 at what is nowPituffik Space Base. After theCold War, Greenland became a lower strategic priority for the US, which gradually reduced its presence to roughly 150 personnel by 2026.[53] After theSeptember 11 attacks in 2001, Denmark supplied military aid to the United States as part of its NATO Article 5 obligation, incurring44 deaths in the Afghan War.
Denmark increased its Arctic defence and led a large NATO exercise in Greenland in 2025.[54] The exercise involved more than 550 soldiers, includingspecial forces, from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, and Germany.[55][56] The Nordic countries also collaborate on Arctic defence through NATO exercises conducted across the region, such as the Joint Viking exercise in 2025.[57] In 2025, Denmark announced a 14.6 billionkr. plan to boost Arctic defence.[58]
Greenland is under the military command of theJoint Arctic Commander, Danish general Søren Andersen.[59] The Arctic Command has around 150 permanent personnel, but regularly deploys units from across the Danish Defence forces, including the Arctic Response Force with aircraft and ships that stand ready to support forces in Greenland.[60] TheSirius Dog Sled Patrol special forces unit operates aroundDaneborg in the northeast of Greenland, anational park, but only comprises a small part of Danish and allied military capabilities in Greenland.[60] As of 2026, NATO members are in discussions about establishing a permanent NATO mission in Greenland, Arctic Sentry, modelled on the Baltic Sentry, following a proposal by Germany.[61]Law enforcement in Greenland employs around 350 people.[62] As of 2026, hundreds of elite Danish combat soldiers trained inarctic warfare have been deployed to Greenland, including theChief of the Royal Danish Army, GeneralPeter Harling Boysen, with Denmark stating its intention to send a "substantial contribution" of its armed forces there in response to the Greenland crisis.[63] Denmark said the deployment might stay in Greenland for 1–2 years.[64]
In the 1826 General Convention of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, between the United States of America and his Majesty the King of Denmark, the US recognised Greenland as one of the northern possessions of His Majesty the King of Denmark, and accepted the trade restrictions that Denmark imposed there.[65][66] In theTreaty of the Danish West Indies, signed in 1916, the US government explicitly recognised Danish sovereignty over all of Greenland.[50] In the 1941 US–Danish agreement, the US Government "reiterate[d] its recognition of and respect for the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Den mark over Greenland."[67] During World War II, the United Statesdefended Greenland at the request of Danish and Greenlandic officials acting without approval from the central government of Denmark while it was under Nazi occupation. In the 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement, the US again recognised the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark over all of Greenland.[68][69] In the 2004 amendment to the Greenland Defense Agreement, the US recognised Greenland as "an equal part of the Kingdom of Denmark under the Constitution [with] a wide ranging Greenland Home Rule."[70][67]
Since hisreelection in 2024, Trump has refused to rule out an invasion of Greenland and engaged in actions and comments seen as provocations against Denmark.[71] Danish national broadcasterDR divided Trump's plans to take over Greenland into three main phases, starting from December 2024: a charm offensive, pressure on the Danish government, and Greenlandicsocietal infiltration.[72]
In January 2025, before taking office, Trump stated he would not exclude using economic or military force against Greenland and that the US needed the territory for national security.[71] On 6 January 2025, he threatened to "tariff Denmark at a very high level" if it did not agree to Trump's plan.[73]
On 11 January,Donald Trump Jr. went on a private visit to Greenland. Local media reported that his entourage passed outMAGA hats to locals and attempted to speak to residents on a speakerphone.[74][75]Pipaluk Lynge, a Greenlandic member of parliament, called the visit "staged".[75]Berlingske reported that an American military person asked theJoint Arctic Command to provide information about Greenlandic infrastructure.[76]
In the following months, Republican congressmanBuddy Carter introduced a bill in theUS Congress to advance efforts to annex Greenland and rename itRed, White, and Blueland[77][78] and US Vice PresidentJD Vance visited, without invitation, thePituffik Space Base, where he gave a speech about how Denmark had failed Greenlanders.[72] Vance's visit was condemned by Greenlandic and Danish politicians, and described as a provocation.[79][80][81][82][83] In connection with the visit, commanderSusannah Meyers, the highest-ranking US officer in Greenland, said the Trump administration's threats against the Kingdom of Denmark "are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base". In response, Meyers was fired by Trump.[84][85]
Denmark accused the Trump administration of conducting covert marketing campaigns intended to persuade Greenlanders to secede from Denmark.[86][16] USinfluencers handed out dollar bills in the streets ofNuuk.[87] This led to at least three American men with connections to Trump to be monitored by theDanish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) for attempting to infiltrate Greenland, with the purpose of creating discord with Denmark by exploiting existing or fabricated disagreements.[72][88]
In December 2025, Trump appointedJeff Landry asspecial envoy to Greenland.[89] The role was described as informal and one-sided.[90] Landry said he would work to make Greenland part of the US[91] and intended to attend, uninvited, a traditionaldog sled race.[92] Denmark summoned the American ambassador,Ken Howery[93] and Foreign MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen called Landry's statements "completely unacceptable", adding, "we insist that everyone – including the US – must show respect for theterritorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark".[94][95]
Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me. I don't need international law. I'm not looking to hurt people.
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Right after the2026 United States intervention in Venezuela on 3 January, which led to the capture ofNicolás Maduro andCilia Flores and their subsequent extraction from the country, White House Deputy Chief of StaffStephen Miller stated that the US has the right to take Greenland.[97][98] His wifeKatie Miller published a map of Greenland covered in the US flag with the word "SOON", which drew widespread condemnation.[99][100] The Trump administration threatened military action to take control of Greenland as an option,[101] while Secretary of StateMarco Rubio stated that the goal is to buy the island from Denmark.[102] Trump ordered theJoint Special Operations Command to make plans for what he called a "possible invasion of Greenland". The move was met with resistance from theJoint Chiefs of Staff.[103]
A few days later, Trump claimed that "I don't need international law" and that it "may be a choice" for the US between seizing Greenland or preserving NATO.[7] Trump said existing treaty rights are insufficient, arguing that full ownership is "psychologically needed for success"[7] and that the US would "do something" on Greenland "whether they like it or not".[104][105] The president also said that he would take Greenland "the hard way" if Denmark does not give up its territory,[106] claiming that "the fact that [Denmark] had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn't mean they own the land".[107] Trump was quoted saying "One way or the other, we are going to have Greenland" and that "we're talking about acquiring, not leasing, not having it short-term".[108]
Republican congressmanRandy Fine proposed that the US annexes Greenland, in what he called The Greenland Annexation and Statehood Act.[109][110] In response, the Greenlandic Prime MinisterJens-Frederik Nielsen stated that Greenland had no wish to become part of the US. Trump proceeded to threaten him and denied he knew Nielsen.[111][112][113] Trump officials again threatened that the US president could take action against Greenland within weeks.[114]
Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me theNobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a "right of ownership" anyway? There are no written documents[c] it's only thata boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT[115]
In mid-January, Trump posted on his websiteTruth Social "NATO: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW!" and reiterated false claims that theDanish Defence forces protecting Greenland consists of "two dogsleds".[116][117] He said he would imposetariffs on countries that participated inOperation Arctic Endurance; a 10% import tariff would be imposed onDenmark,Norway,Sweden,France,Germany, theUnited Kingdom, theNetherlands, andFinland starting 1 February 2026, and it would increase to a 25% tariff on 1 June unless Denmark agreed to sell Greenland to the US.[118][119][8]
Ina message to the Norwegian prime ministerJonas Gahr Støre, that Trump asked be shared widely with world leaders, Trump reiterated his demand for "Complete and Total Control of Greenland [sic]" and ascribed his own attitude therein to not being awarded the2025 Nobel Peace Prize, writing that he no longer feels an "obligation to think purely of Peace".[120][121][115] Støre said that "I have several times clearly explained to Trump what is well known, namely that it is anindependent Nobel Committee, and not the Norwegian government, that awards the prize."[122] The prize is awarded for laureates' work in the preceding year; Trump was not in office in 2024.[123]
On 19 January, Trump again refused to rule out invading Greenland and reiterated his tariff threats.[124][125][126] On 20 January, Trump reiterated threats, stating that there is "no going back" on his plan to annex Greenland, claiming "Greenland is imperative for national and world security".[127] Trump also indicated that what he called the UK's "stupidity" in transferring theChagos Islands toMauritius justified his demands on Greenland.[128] Trump posted an image of a map showing Canada and Greenland as part of the United States and an AI image of him along with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting a flag of the United States on Greenlandic soil.[129][130][131]
On 21 January, Trump had asked thechairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffDan Caine to present potential options and the impacts of using military force to seize Greenland, ultimately resulting in Trump deciding against an invasion, Trump administration officials told NBC News.[132]
 | This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is:Recent US–Denmark negotiations at the Munich Security Conference. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2026) |
At theWorld Economic Forum inDavos on 21 January 2026, Trump gave a speech containing numerous false claims about Greenland, Denmark and NATO.[133] He falsely claimed that Greenland is a US territory, despite it being associated with thekingdoms of Denmark and Norway for over a millennium, which was inherited by theDanish Unitary State, and later by modern-dayDanish Realm.[134] He stated he would not use military force in his attempt to annex Greenland, while not ruling out economic coercion, insisting on "immediate negotiations" despite Denmark telling him Greenland is not for sale.[135] He appeared to issue a veiled warning to European leaders, stating that they could consent to Washington's annexation of Greenland and earn America's gratitude, or refuse and face the assurance that the US would "remember."[136] During his speech, Trump also appeared to repeatedly confuse Iceland with Greenland.[137][138][139]
Shortly after, Trump abruptly announced that he and NATO Secretary GeneralMark Rutte had "formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland"[11][140] and withdrew his threats of punitive tariffs against NATO members.[140] Trump said the proposed deal involved military cooperation related to hisGolden Dome project and cooperation between Greenland, the US and European allies on mineral development.[141] Rutte said his discussion with Trump did not cover control of Greenland, instead focusing on broader Arctic security.[142] Danish and NATO officials denied that any deal had been formed that would compromise the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland.[41][143] Both Danish and Greenland officials said sovereignty is not negotiable.[144] Greenland Prime MinisterMúte Egede had previously said the country would be open to strengthening its defence and mining ties with the United States and was ready to start a dialogue with the United States.[145]
EU lawmakers said they would need greater clarity about Trump's intentions, withBernd Lange stating that "nobody knows exactly what the details of this so-called solution or deal are."[146]
Aaja Chemnitz, one of Greenland's two members of the Danish parliament, said Trump's statements were "completely crazy" and denied the existence of any "deal," stating that "NATO has no mandate whatsoever" to negotiate anything on behalf of Greenland. She said that "total confusion" was being created by Trump's statements.[42] Chemnitz' statement was echoed by another MP who said the claim of a "deal" is "not real" and described the meeting as "not real negotiations, it's two men who have had a conversation."[147] According to Sky News, the supposed deal referred to a meeting where "pre-existing commitments in the 1951 US–Denmark treaty were reemphasised and European nations re-committed to increase their own defence of Greenland", while highlighting the "serious damage to the trans-Atlantic alliance" inflicted by Trump.[43] A NATO spokesperson said "discussions among NATO allies on the framework [Trump] referenced will focus on ensuring Arctic security through the collective efforts of allies, especially the seven Arctic allies."[148] Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen emphasised that "nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark."[149]
Trump's comments in Davos were described as a great climbdown.[150][151]Reuters reported that his reversal of policy followed pressure by his own aides opposing an invasion of Greenland.[38] Former US NATO ambassadorR. Nicholas Burns said Trump had clearly backed down in the face of tough military, economic and political resistance from the Europeans that the Trump administration had not calculated.[44] Trump's behavior during 2025 and 2026 was described as having damaged the US standing in the world and how allies see the US in the long term,[152] while resulting in no other outcome than maintaining Greenland's status quo.[44]CNN reported that no actual document exists yet and that the information available indicates that the supposed deal "sounds a lot like what the United States already had,"[153] and described the affair as "one of the most erratic episodes involving a modern president on the world stage".[36] Greenlandic politician Tillie Martinussen said that "we can never really trust America again."[154]
Trump's reversal was widely referred to as aTACO moment.[36][155][156]The New York Times argued that it showed the "limits of his coercive powers."[157]
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Thomas Crosbie, a US military expert working at theRoyal Danish Defence College, stated that any attempt to seize Greenland would constitute acriminal act, and that Denmark, with the backing of its allies, would have the legal right to arrest any Americans involved in such actions and prosecute them underDanish criminal law.[158] Danish troops in Greenland are legally obligated to defend Danish territory undermilitary law. Under a 1952 standing order, Danish troops are ordered to "immediately take up the fight without waiting for, or seeking orders" in "the event of an attack on Danish territory".[158][60] The Danish government confirmed in January 2026 that the order remains in place and that Danish soldiers would shoot back if Greenland is attacked.[18]
TheMinistry of Defence said Danish troops would immediately respond to an invasion of Greenland with force and the chairman of the Defence Committee,Rasmus Jarlov, said Denmark would invokeArticle 5 if attacked by the US.[19][21] Jarlov said a US attack would mean war with Denmark and that retaliation would includedeadly force.[159] As of January 2026[update], Article 5 has been invokedonly once in NATO history: in response to theSeptember 11 attacks on the US in 2001, when Denmark volunteered "to fight alongside American soldiers in two different conflicts ... [deploying] tens of thousands of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq over two decades ... [suffering] thethird-highest per capita casualty rate".[160]
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Shortly after the start of the crisis, theKingdom of Denmark began rapidly expanding its military capabilities in theArctic. On 27 January 2025, its governments agreed to the First Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic, which invested a total ofkr. 14.6 billion (US$2.05 billion) intowarning systems in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, new naval vessels,drone warfare training, a newradiation monitoring station in East Greenland, upgrades to theJoint Arctic Command inNuuk and intelligence,satellite surveillance, 2 new coastalradars, and Arctic basic military training inKangerlussuaq.[161]This was followed by the Second Agreement on 10 October 2025, providing upgrades worthkr. 27.4 billion (US$4.26 billion) for improvements of what was presented in the First Agreement, alongside upgrades toKangerlussuaq Airport, a new specialised Arctic unit under theJaeger Corps of theSpecial Operations Command that could operate anywhere in Greenland,[162] establishment of radar capability in East Greenland, establishment of a Greenlandicreconnaissance Unit, and the construction of a newundersea cable connecting Greenland to mainland Denmark.[163][164]
In the summer of 2025, the Greenlandic government and theDanish Defence both announced that Greenland would have increased military presence by September, as part of Operation Arctic Light.[165][166] On 18 August 2025, theMinistry of Justice allocated a package worth more thankr. 850 million to their operations in Greenland and theFaroe Islands.[167] Alongside promotions of generallaw enforcement and upgrades tocourts, the package also provided funding for strengthening thePET's activities in the North Atlantic, and provided new maritime equipment to Greenlandic and Faroese police in response to the crisis.[167]
By 19 January 2026, a total of overkr. 88 billion (US$13.7 billion) had been committed to "strengthen defense and security in the Arctic", withkr. 29 billion allocated to acquiringF-35 fighter jets alone, andkr. 27.8 billion foranti-aircraft warfare, according to theMinistry of Defence,[168][169] and at that point Denmark had sent 200 additional soldiers to Greenland.[170] On the same day, more soldiers together with theChief of the Royal Danish Army, GeneralPeter Harling Boysen, started arriving in Greenland, and Denmark announced that a "substantial contribution" of its armed forces would be sent there.[63][171] Also on 19 January, Defence MinisterTroels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic Minister of Foreign AffairsVivian Motzfeldt met NATO Secretary General Rutte and their Nordic Security ministers inBrussels about the situation in Greenland.[168] General Boysen said he is ready to defend Greenland.[20] According to Boysen, the soldiers landed inKangerlussuaq in western Greenland.[172]
On 20 January 2026, Denmark deployed additional troops to Greenland, sending dozens of soldiers and senior military leadership to the Arctic territory to reinforce its presence and participate in ongoing multinational exercises, increasing the Danish Armed Forces' personnel stationed there amid heightened international tensions.[172] The same day, Greenland's government mulled the creation of a task force with representatives from local authorities to prepare residents for potential disruptions to daily life, including guidance recommending that households keep five days of food supplies. Additionally, PMJens-Frederik Nielsen stated that a military conflict could not be ruled out.[173]
TheJoint Arctic Command announced plans to expand its military exercises, potentially conducting them on a year-round basis.[173] A Danish defence analyst interviewed byTimes Radio said Denmark discussed plans to station around 1,000 Danish ground forces in Greenland, in addition to other capabilities and allied contributions.[174] An investigation byTimes Radio suggested that it would be very hard for the US to successfully invade Greenland due to a combination of lack of US Arctic capabilities, the geography of Greenland, and Danish knowledge of the area, preparedness and Arctic training.[175]
United States Greenland | Participants Rest of NATO |
On 14 January 2026, Denmark started to send military reinforcements to Greenland[176] to strengthen its military presence.[177] Later that day, it became known that bothSweden[178] andNorway sent military forces to support the Danish Defence in protecting Greenland.[179] The Ministry of Defence on 14 January 2026 announced "an increased military presence in and around Greenland, comprising aircraft, vessels and soldiers, including from NATO allies".[180] After consultations between a group of European countries,[181] Germany announced it was sending a small contingent to Greenland on a reconnaissance mission with other European nations.[182] On 15 January 2026, a French military contingent arrived in Greenland.[23]
On 16 January, DanishF-35 and FrenchA330 MRTT jets conducted a training mission in southeast Greenland.[183] On 17 January, Major General Søren Andersen stated that at least 100 units have arrived inNuuk, and another 100 inKangerlussuaq.[184] By 18 January, the deployment involvedBelgium,[185][186]France,Germany,[187]Sweden,Norway,Finland, theNetherlands, theUnited Kingdom,Estonia,Slovenia, andIceland, with Estonia's deployment yet to be executed.[188] French PresidentEmmanuel Macron stated that the deployment would soon be reinforced with land, air, and sea assets as part ofOperation Arctic Endurance.[23] Denmark is planning a larger and more permanent NATO presence.[189][190]
Despite Poland's recent interest and participation in military exercises in the Arctic region, and having signed a bilateral defence agreement with Denmark in the 1990s, Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk and defence MinisterWładysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland would not deploy troops in Greenland.[191][192][193] This decision was criticised by former Major GeneralRoman Polko as "sheer cowardice", to which Kosiniak-Kamysz defended it as protecting NATO unity.[194][195] On 18 January, Germany's reconnaissance team returned to Germany,[196] with theBundeswehr stating that the mission to plan for future engagements had been "completed, as planned".[197][198] On 19 January it became known that Canada considered sending troops to Greenland to reinforce Danish sovereignty.[199]
Between 19 January and 3 February,[200]NORAD deployed their aircraft toPituffik Space Base in Greenland for long-planned activities, describing the deployment as routine and coordinated with theKingdom of Denmark with diplomatic clearances and with theGovernment of Greenland informed of the planned operations.[201]
On 21 January, France proposed a larger NATO exercise in Greenland and said they are willing to participate.[3]
On 11 February,NATO launched Operation Arctic Sentry, a military exercise led byJFC Norfolk aimed to strengthen NATO's posture in the Arctic,[202] withSupreme Allied Commander EuropeAlexus Grynkewich stating that it "underscores the alliance's commitment to safeguard its members and maintain stability."[203] While the operation is not intended to be permanent, Canadian Foreign Affairs ministerAnita Anand urges it to be otherwise, commenting that "defending the Arctic is defending NATO's northern flank andNorth America itself".[204]
Despite being officially intended to counter Sino–Russian threats in the Arctic,[205] Operation Arctic Sentry has often been interpreted that it's largely meant to "appeaseTrump" regarding Greenland instead.[206][207]
According toDeutsche Welle, participating countries would include: theUnited States,Canada,Denmark,Norway,Sweden,Finland, andIceland.[207]
The Greenlandic government has asked citizens to prepare for a possible attack on Greenland by the US, including by stockpiling supplies.[208]
Largeanti-Trump protests, named "Hands off Greenland", took place across Greenland and Denmark on 17 January to protest against Trump's threats against Greenland.[25] The solidarity protests are organised by Greenlandic associations in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and Nuuk.[209][210] Uagut, an association of Greenlanders in Denmark, said the aim of the protests is to send a message of respect for Greenland's democracy and fundamental human rights.[211] In Copenhagen, thousands of Greenlanders and Danes filledCity Hall Square.[212][25] Protesters chanted "Greenland is not for sale" and "Kalaallit Nunaat"[d] and marched to theUS embassy in Copenhagen in solidarity with Greenlanders.[213][214][215] The slogan "Make America Go Away" soared in popularity in response to the protests, becoming a symbol of anti-Trump defiance.[e]
In response toOperation Arctic Endurance and European countries' refusal to support his annexation of Greenland, Trump threatened to increasetariffs[221][6][4] against several EU and NATO members,[24][222] reigniting concerns of a US-EU trade war.[223] Trump said he would imposetariffs on any trading partner that did not support the idea of a US invasion and military occupation of Greenland.[224][225]
In January 2026, he threatened Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland with tariffs of up to 25% tariffs until they supported his takeover of Greenland,[8][226][227] stating that they had "journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet".[228] On 21 January, Trump announced that he would not impose the tariffs, having agreed to a deal with NATO secretary generalMark Rutte.[229]
In response to Trump's threats, EU leaders promised a firm, EU-wide joint response.European Council PresidentAntónio Costa said the EU will be "very firm in defending international law ... starting within the territory of the European Union's member states".[230] European Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyen promised an "unflinching, united and proportional" response.[231]Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said China and Russia "must be having a field day" as a result of Trump's tariffs.[230] The EU Parliament suspended approval of a proposedEU–US trade agreement on 21 January and substantial retaliatory tariffs against the US were readied.[232][233][234][235]
French President Macron described Trump's threats as unacceptable and said that "no intimidation nor threat will influence us, neitherin Ukraine, nor in Greenland".[236] Norwegian Prime MinisterJonas Gahr Støre condemned Trump's threats and wrote that "Norway's position is firm: Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Norway fully supports the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark."[25] British Prime MinisterKeir Starmer said Trump's trade war is "completely wrong".[237] Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Europe would not be blackmailed by Trump.[238] A joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom emphasised the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and accused Trump of creating a "dangerous downward spiral" with his threats.[239][240] On 18 January, EU ambassadors from all 27 member states held an emergency meeting on Trump's threats.[241] After Trump reversed his decision on implementing tariffs, EU officials were skeptical,[242] but announced on 22 January that approval of the trade agreement would resume.[243][244]
Several European leaders including France's Emmanuel Macron advocated using the EU'sAnti-Coercion Instrument, a security and trade policy tool known as the "trade bazooka", to target the US in retaliation.[245][246][247][26][248] Under the not-previously-used instrument, the EU may adopt countermeasures, sometimes described as sanctions, including tariffs, restrictions on public procurement, and measures affecting trade and investment.[239][249]Bernd Lange, chair of theEuropean Parliament Committee on International Trade, supported its activation.[250] By 21 January EU countries were described as being increasingly open to using the ACI against the US, with Germany stating it will ask the Commission to explore its use.[251]
Senior Republicans as well as Democrats described Trump's tariff threats as bad for the US, bad for business, and a strategic gift toVladimir Putin andXi Jinping.[252] On the other hand, Trump said that Greenland was a US national security priority because he did not want Russia or China as neighbours,[253] although Russia is already a neighbour of the US; at their closest points, the US island ofLittle Diomede and the Russian island ofBig Diomede in theBering Strait are only 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away from each other.[254][f] Senate minority leaderChuck Schumer announced that Democrats would introduce legislation to block any tariffs "before they do further damage to the American economy and our allies in Europe".[256][257]
Russia welcomed Trump's tariffs against hisNATO allies, withKremlin officials saying it was evidence that the transatlantic alliance was collapsing.[258] The Russian government newspaperRossiyskaya Gazeta praised Trump's push to take over Greenland and welcomed the strain it was causing between the US and Europe.[259]
On 16 and 17 June 2025, the governments ofGreenland,Denmark, and theFaroe Islands participated in their biannual meeting inTórshavn in light of the crisis.[260] While Danish Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen didn't want to elaborate on her negotiations with Greenland and the Faroe Islands at the time, she called for unity among all three governments of theKingdom of Denmark, with Faroese PMAksel V. Johannesen calling for more foreign policy autonomy for the Faroe Islands.
In response to US threats against Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reminded Trump that an attack on the Kingdom of Denmark is an attack onNATO and that all members are obligated to come to Denmark's defence, urging the US to cease its threats,[261] which threaten the existence of NATO and the security framework established since the end ofWorld War II.[262][263]
The official Danish threat assessment published by theDanish Defence Intelligence Service in 2025 for the first time mentioned the US as a threat tonational security, alongside Russia and China.[13][264][265] In response to American influence operations, both Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and KingFrederik X visited the Danish territory.[87] After Trump resumed his threats in December 2025, Foreign MinisterLars Løkke Rasmussen insisted on respect for theterritorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark.[94][95]
Danish politicians have called for closing the US consulate in Greenland over its role in undermining Danish sovereignty.[266] Former Danish foreign ministerPer Stig Møller said Trump's behavior has destroyed the US relationship with Denmark and compared it to German demands on Polish territory in the 1930s.[193] Former Danish European CommissionerMargrethe Vestager called Trump's threats an existential threat for NATO and Europe.[267]Rasmus Jarlov stated in an interview that a US military invasion of Greenland would constitute a war, with Denmark and the US fighting each other.[268]
Former Danish prime minister and NATO secretary generalAnders Fogh Rasmussen said the US actions are widely seen as a betrayal in Denmark. Rasmussen emphasised that Greenland is not for sale, that Greenlanders don't want to become part of the US and that the only way for the US to take it would be to invade the Kingdom of Denmark and destroy NATO. He said Denmark has no other choice than to defend its territory, and that non-resistance is not an option.[269] He further said that Trump is "the biggest threat to world peace."[270] He said Trump speaks like agangster in his threats against Greenland.[271][4] He also stated that time for "flattering Trump" was over while suggesting hard economic actions by Europe.[272] He also suggested the establishment of a "European NATO" without the US.[270]
On 23 January 2026, Danish Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen visited Greenland to express support for the people and the island's self-governing government, following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump indicating his willingness to annex the territory. Trump had previously discussed strengthening security in the Arctic region with NATO Secretary GeneralMark Rutte. Both the Danish and Greenlandic governments have affirmed that the island's sovereignty is indisputable, but remain open to discussions on issues such as security and economic development. The crisis eased after Trump withdrew threats of force and new tariffs.[273]
In response to US threats, Greenland's prime ministerJens-Frederik Nielsen said Trump would not "get" Greenland and that it is not for sale.[274][275] The US threats have caused a pause in independence discussions, which Nielsen promoted during theprevious elections.[275] The PM stated that, "when faced with the choice between US and Denmark, Greenland chooses Denmark".[276] A joint statement published by all parties in theParliament of Greenland demanded that the US show respect and that they do not want to become part of the US,[277][28] that they "do not want to be Americans."[278][279][280] Greenland has moved to ban foreign political funding in response to US interference.[281]
2025 and 2026 saw large demonstrations against the US in Greenland, with Greenlanders emphasising that "we are not for sale".[282][27] Demonstrators carried placards bearing the slogans "no means no", "stop threatening us", and "Yankee go home!"[27][28] On 12 January 2026, the government of Greenland issued a statement that they can "not under any circumstances" accept US demands for Greenland to become part of the US and that "Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark", underlining the role of NATO in its defence.[22] The government welcomed the initiative by six NATO members (reported to be the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Spain) to increase NATO activity in Greenland.[283][284][285]
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In a joint statement on 13 January 2026, the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark said that Greenland was facing an "unacceptable pressure" campaign and a "geopolitical crisis" caused by the US. They said that Greenland is not under any circumstances for sale. Frederiksen said "our message is clear: Greenland is not for sale" and "you can't buy another people". Nielsen emphasised that talk about buying another people shows a lack of respect,[17][288] and that Greenland does not want to be owned nor governed by the US.[289] Greenlandic politicians have welcomed a NATO mission in Greenland to protect the island following Trump's threats.[290]
On 21 November 2025, Danish Defence MinisterTroels Lund Poulsen visited the Faroe Islands, where both parties discussed Faroese participation regarding the situation in Greenland.[291] FaroeseSpeaker of the LøgtingBjørt Samuelsen sent an official letter of support to their Greenlandic counterpart,Kim Kielsen.[292] Denmark and NATO did not deploy troops to the Faroe Islands as part ofOperation Arctic Endurance.[293]
US President Donald Trump stated his belief that the EU would not "push back too much".[294] US treasury secretary Scott Bessent stated that both NATO and Greenland were essential to United States national security.[295]
Former CIA DirectorJohn O. Brennan called it "outrageous that we are threatening Denmark" and that there is a "sense of shame" among Americans over Trump's international behavior.[193] US Republican senatorThom Tillis and Democratic senatorJeanne Shaheen, co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, said that "the United States must honor its treaty obligations and respect Greenland and Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity".[296][297] Republican senatorRoger Wicker, theSenate Armed Services chair, said Trump's threats to seize Greenland was "a topic that should be dropped"[33] and cautioned Trump against spending time "antagonizing allies".[298] After meeting Danish officials, Wicker said it was clear that there was no room for negotiation and that Trump's attempt to obtain Greenland was not realistic.[299]
Mitch McConnell, who led Trump's Republican Party in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, characterised attempts to seize Greenland as "trampling the sovereignty, respect, and trust of our allies" and that "the use of force ... would be an especially catastrophic act of strategic self-harm to America and its global influence".[33][300][301] Republican senatorSusan Collins and Speaker of the House of RepresentativesMike Johnson called the threats and possible US military actions as "completely inappropriate".[33] In mid-January, a delegation of US congresspeople from both major political parties, including senatorsChris Coons,Lisa Murkowski,Jeanne Shaheen, andThom Tillis, travelled to Copenhagen to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials to underscore the value of their partnership.[34][302] Former Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification, and ComplianceFrank A. Rose, the last US official to negotiate a defence agreement with Denmark, said Trump's behavior threatened to undermine the access the United States had to the Danish territory, since, under the 1951 agreement, the US already had all the military access it needed.[107]
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On 7 January 2026, US senatorRuben Gallego introduced a resolution in the US senate to block Trump from invading Greenland.[303] A few days later, Democratic and Republican senators introduced the bipartisan No Funds for NATO Invasion Act, which prohibits the use of federal funds for the invasion of any NATO member state or NATO-protected territory,[304] as well as the bipartisan NATO Unity Protection Act to "prohibit the use of US Department of Defense or Department of State funds to blockade, occupy, annex or otherwise assert control over the sovereign territory of a NATO member state without that ally's consent or authorization from the North Atlantic Council", introduced by Republican senatorLisa Murkowski and Democratic senatorJeanne Shaheen.[305] According to Murkowski, the Act seeks to stop Trump's threats against Greenland.[306]Timothy Broglio, theArchbishop for the Military Services, USA, and former president of theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said Trump's actions tarnish the image of the US and that it would be morally acceptable for US soldiers to disobey "morally questionable" orders to attack Greenland.[307] Former Trump spokespersonSarah Matthews said Trump's Greenland threats were "the most mentally ill, deranged thing" he had done.[308]
In particular, opposition lawmakers were quick to condemn the communique to Norway about the Nobel Prize, widely questioning Trump's mental fitness for office:Andy Kim, who sits on theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee, described it as "unhinged and embarrassing", andChris Murphy of theSenate Foreign Affairs Committee as "the ramblings of a man who has lost touch with reality".[122] American historianAnne Applebaum wrote that Trump is "maniacally, unhealthily obsessive" about the Nobel Peace Prize and uses it as justification for an invasion of Greenland.[309]
Gavin Newsom criticised Europe's response to Trump's tariff threats as weak and "pathetic" while speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in and called on EU leaders to present a unified and more assertive stance toward the US.[310]
Experts said a US invasion of Greenland would violate US law and could spark a constitutional crisis.[311]
A poll fromYouGov in mid-January found only 8% of Americans supported using military force to take Greenland from Denmark, with 73% opposition. "Buying" Greenland had only 28% support, with 45% opposition.[32]
Stephen Barnes, an American law professor based in Oslo, said that Americans in Europe now feel like Russians did in the aftermath of the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He expressed a deep sense of shame and embarrassment among Americans, adding that he considers the reaction justified.[312]
Republican congressmanDon Bacon predicted an invasion of Greenland would lead to the immediateimpeachment of Trump with Republican support.[301][313] Bacon said he would lean towards impeaching Trump and that many Republicans are angry about Trump's threats against Greenland, emphasising that Trump would need to back off if he wished to save his presidency.[314]
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"From président [sic] Macron to President Trump,
My friend,
We are totally in line onSyria
We can do great things onIran
I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland"
TheEU, theUnited Kingdom,Norway, andCanada have united behind Denmark,[25][90][316][317] and condemned the US threats.[318][319][320] The European Commission PresidentUrsula von der Leyen said that the EU stands in "full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland" against US threats.[90] EU Defence CommissionerAndrius Kubilius warned that it would be the end of NATO if the US invaded Greenland and said thatEU members would be under obligation to come to Denmark's assistance.[22] European countries have united behind Denmark, emphasising that Greenland belongs to its people, not to the United States.[319][316]
European Council PresidentAntónio Costa said the EU would support Greenland and Denmark when needed and that the EU would not accept violations of international law. European allies said they are working on a plan to support Denmark.[321][158] EU lawmakers have called for freezing a proposedtrade deal with the US.[322]
A joint statement, dated 6 January 2026, by PresidentEmmanuel Macron of France, ChancellorFriedrich Merz of Germany, Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni of Italy, Prime MinisterDonald Tusk of Poland, Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark emphasised "sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders" and said that "Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."[323][324][325] A joint statement by foreign ministers of the Nordic countries have echoed the same message.[326][327][328] Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen thanked the European allies for their support.[329]
Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech at theWorld Economic Forum on 20 January that geopolitical "shocks" and Trump's worldview require a "new form of European independence." She underlined that the sovereignty and integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark including Greenland is non-negotiable.[330][331][332]Hungarian Foreign MinisterPéter Szijjártó stated that the European Union does not need to deal with the Greenland crisis because it is only a dispute between Denmark and the United States.[333] There have been claims thatHungary andPrime MinisterViktor Orbán have provided behind the scenes support for Donald Trump's territorial claims concerning Greenland.[334][335]
At the same time, Szijjártó's statement violates several obligations and expectations associated with EU membership, given that Denmark is also a member of the European Union.[336]
On 6 February, France and Canada announced the opening of their respective consulates inNuuk in support of Greenlanders.[337]
The Trump administration's actions against Greenland and Denmark, initially referred to as the Greenland crisis,[338] have been described by academics and commentators ashybrid warfare,[339][88][340][341] a broad umbrella concept that may include the use ofpolitical warfare,fake news, diplomacy,lawfare, regime change, andforeign electoral intervention, among other methods. Greenland was united in condemnation of the US,[342] describing it as "an entirely new and unsettling situation",[343] given that Greenland lacked realistic countermeasures.[344]
Danish media interviewed several experts who said that the US actions against Greenland clearly amount to hybrid warfare.[345] André Ken Jakobsson, a researcher on hybrid warfare, said, already in the spring of 2025, that "the tools the United States uses to achieve its objectives [in Greenland] also fall within the gray zone typically associated with hybrid warfare".[346] Jakobsson believes the United States is now deliberately seeking to fracture the Kingdom of Denmark with the use of intelligence agencies[343] and that the US has been using all of its means short ofconventional war in its campaign to try to get Greenland.[347]
Speaking on US hybrid warfare and espionage,DR commentator Niels Fastrup said that the US has shifted from an attempt to buy Greenland in 2019 to hybrid influence operations, conducted by private individuals close to Trump.[348] Swedish foreign affairs commentator and terrorism expertWolfgang Hansson [sv] compared Trump's actions toRussian hybrid warfare, stating that "Trump realized that taking over Greenland militarily would be expensive, risky, and look very bad, but hybrid warfare is cheap and easy to deny".[349]
Trump's threats against Greenland have been described as a new, potentially unprecedented challenge toNATO,[47] given that the US militaryalready has full access to Greenland, Denmark has been a very loyal ally of the US, and has keptChinese investments and technology out of Greenland.[49] Former head of theNATO Defense College, Arne Bård Dalhaug, said that Trump's threats against Greenland "comes across as a gift-wrapped present from Trump to Putin", allowing him free hands in Eastern Europe.[350] According to international relations scholarIver B. Neumann, Trump is splitting the West on behalf of the Russians, which has been a key aim of Russian andSoviet foreign policy for years.[350]
Anders Puck Nielsen, a military analyst at theRoyal Danish Defence College, andAndrius Kubilius, the EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, agree that, if an American invasion of Greenland was carried out, it will be the end of NATO.[351][352] Nielsen emphasised that it is now clear Denmark can no longer rely on the US, and that the future lies in a European defence cooperation without US involvement.[351]
Kori Schake said it will take a generation to repair the damage and collapse of trust among the US's closest allies that Trump has caused.[193]Richard N. Haass said Europeans have come to see the US as a threat and no longer trust the US, and that Trump's actions are "turning upside down" what America has worked for over 75 years.[353] In an editorial,The Wall Street Journal said Trump was enabling "the fondest dream of Russian strategy ... to divide Western Europe from the US and break the NATO alliance."[354] European leaders warned that Trump's threats have fundamentally undermined trust in the United States as a security and economic partner, accelerating efforts to reduce reliance on them and to develop independent European defence, security, and political coordination structures.[355]
Christopher S. Chivvis, a senior fellow and director of the American Statecraft Program at theCarnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that the tariff threat to facilitate a US annexation of Greenland represents a fundamental break with the post-1945 transatlantic order. He contends that by linking trade access to the territorial sovereignty of a NATO ally, the United States would shift from a security guarantor to a form of imperial power. Chivvis describes the demand as a revival of nineteenth century imperial practices, contrasting it with China's tendency to frame its territorial ambitions as the recovery of historically claimed lands.[356]
David Ignatius argued that Trump's efforts to annex Greenland had triggered a serious crisis that could undermine US security for decades, with potential costs far exceeding any strategic benefits of controlling the island. He characterised the initiative as self-destructive, remarking that it amounted to "shooting yourself in the head."[357] Joshua Yaffa wrote that Trump needlessly caused a crisis in NATO and exacerbated European distrust toward the US only to "end up with basically the same set of options that existed months ago."[358]
The escalation of American threats against Greenland has been linked by several commentators to the apparent success of the2026 United States intervention in Venezuela.[359] Some commentators have also linked the Greenland Crisis to Trump's threats against Canada. Former Premier of Ontario andPermanent Representative of Canada to the United NationsBob Rae stated that Trump "doesn't take Canada's sovereignty seriously", while formerPrincipal Secretary to the Prime MinisterGerald Butts stated that, although he didn't believe Trump would invade Canada directly, "we're going to see a lot of threats, and we're going to see a lot of seeding of pro-American activity by the Americans in Canadian life".[359] NBC News reported in mid-January 2026 that, according to senior American officials, Trump was "privately ramping up his focus on another target in theWestern Hemisphere, increasingly complaining to aides in recent weeks about Canada's vulnerability to US adversaries in the Arctic".[360]
Trump's aggressive negotiation tactics have prompted comparisons with themadman theory.James D. Boys argues that Trump uses the theory, deliberately projecting unpredictability and issuing extreme threats to force concessions, citing Venezuela as an example of where defiance was punished, and warning that no country is immune, adding, "I'd be trying to stay well away from everything that's going on with Greenland and the NATO alliance."[361]
AsJD Vance andMarco Rubio met the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministersLars Løkke Rasmussen andVivian Motzfeldt, the White House posted a meme onTwitter with the question: "Which way, Greenland man?" with imagery implying a choice between the United States and an ominous-looking China and Russia. Heidi Beirich of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism described the meme as reflecting a key concept inneo-Nazi andwhite supremacist subculture, explaining that "Western man iscode for white man, and one of the most popular racist books in these subcultures isWhich Way Western Man, which has been featured in aDepartment of Homeland Security post celebratingmanifest destiny."[363]
Trump has engaged inonline trolling, posting an altered image that features the US flag covering Canada, Greenland and Venezuela[364] and anAI image of himself planting a US flag in Greenland, marked as "US territory" and "EST. 2026."[131]
Paul Buvarp, a researcher on disinformation andpropaganda at theNorwegian Defence Research Establishment, described Trump's claims about imminent Chinese and Russian threats to Greenland as detached from observable reality and emblematic of information manipulation rather than genuine security analysis. Buvarp argued that the rhetoric functions as propaganda by deliberately creating uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion.[365]
On 29 January 2026, German broadcasterNorddeutscher Rundfunk was fined by Greenlandic police afterMaxi Schafroth attempted to raise the US flag in public space. The broadcaster has since apologised and expressed "its regret to the people of Greenland".[366]
Trump's threats have been described byLe Monde as turning the Greenlanders decidedly against the US. While Greenland is a longtime ally of the US with a traditionally positive view of the country, the view of the US has become strongly negative as a result of Trump's behaviour.[367]
Political scientist Hilmar Mjelde called Trump's actions a "politicalown goal of historic proportions", and said he believes Trump has underestimated European steadfastness.[368]Annie Genevard said the EU has strong leverage and can retaliate in a trade war with the US, and that it could be "deadly for the United States", emphasising that Europeans will not let the US do as it pleases.[369]
In legal analysis of the crisis, some commentators suggestedsovereign bases as a solution,[370] similar to the United Kingdom's retention ofsovereign base areas in Cyprus, under which limited territory is held under foreign sovereignty primarily for military purposes.[371] Commentators suggested that such a model could allow a foreign power to exercise sovereign control over specific installations in Greenland without a broader transfer of territory, though the proposal was described as legally complex and politically contentious.[370] Danish MPSascha Faxe said giving up any sovereignty is completely out of the question, specifically stating that the Cyprus situation is not an option, while emphasizing that military bases already have a significant degree of operational autonomy and jurisdiction under existing agreements, in line with what is normal for US bases abroad.[372] Both Danish and Greenland officials said sovereignty is not negotiable.[144] On 26 January, Greenland's government said the idea of transferring "sovereignty" of any Greenlandic land, including bases, is not possible and described it as a "red line."[373]
Trump's behavior drew commentary on his fitness for office. Vin Gupta, the medical analyst for NBC News, suggested that Trump's behavior could be signs of earlyAlzheimer's orfrontotemporal dementia. He said thatTrump's letter to Norway "crossed a line of proper adult behavior" and should have had a "more thorough public assessment of his neurological fitness."[374] Trump also repeatedly confused Greenland with Iceland. Democratic lawmakers called for invoking the US25th Amendment.[37]
Manyfar right andnationalist parties in Europe, includingAlternative for Germany,National Rally,Sweden Democrats,[375]Brothers of Italy, andReform UK were described as repulsed by Trump's threats against the sovereignty of a European country.[376][377][378] Italian prime ministerGiorgia Meloni called Trump's statements "unacceptable" and said "friendship requires respect."Nigel Farage called Trump's threats against Greenland a "very hostile act" against Europe.[379] According to aYouGov poll from February 2026, the crisis also led to an increase of people in Western Europe with an unfavourable opinion of the United States.[380]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.m.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing informationadding missing information ormaking an edit request.(February 2026) |
News of the request comes as U.S. President Donald Trump barrels into Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, where he is likely to use the World Economic Forum to escalate his push for acquiring Greenland despite European protests in the biggest fraying of transatlantic ties in decades.
Trump's push to take over Greenland and unleash a trade war with European nations has sparked the greatest transatlantic crisis in generations.
Heads of state across Europe respond in solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, and boycott of World Cup suggested
I dag gjenstår kun det som tidligere het Thule-basen. Den skiftet i 2023 navn til Pituffik Space Base. Navnet henspiller på det inuittiske navnet på «stedet der hunder er bundet». Basen hadde på et tidspunkt 6000 amerikanere i tjeneste. Totalt hadde USA på det meste utplassert 10.000 soldater på øya. Nå er det bare 150 igjen, bekreftet baseledelsen for overfor dansk TV2 denne uken.[Today, only what was previously known as Thule Air Base remains. In 2023, it changed its name to Pituffik Space Base. The name refers to the Inuit name for 'the place where dogs are tied.' At one point, the base had 6,000 Americans in service. In total, the United States at its peak had deployed 10,000 soldiers on the island. Now there are only 150 left, base leadership confirmed to Danish TV2 this week.]
Danmark og USA har innledet en form for hybridkrig, hvor vi med sikkerhet ikke har sett det siste. Det kommer til å kreve store ressurser og oppmerksomhet fra den danske regjeringen, sier Winther[Denmark and the United States have entered a form of hybrid warfare, and we certainly have not seen the last of it. It will require significant resources and attention from the Danish government, says Winther]
According to the spokesman, the 15 German officers include experts in logistics and other areas.
Sir Keir Starmer condemned Donald Trump as "completely wrong"
Just 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles) separate Big Diomede Island (Russia) and Little Diomede Island (U.S.).
Hybrid krigsførelse mellem allierede er nyt. Og svær at forsvare sig imod[Hybrid warfare between allies is new. And difficult to defend against.]
Hybridkrig via Instagram: Trump splitter kanskje USA, men han samlet Grønland[Hybrid warfare via Instagram: Trump may be dividing the US, but he united Greenland]
Kongeriget Danmark er under en ny form for hybridkrigslignende angreb – vestfra. Og det mest skræmmende er ikke engang truslen i sig selv, men i høj grad fraværet af realistiske modtræk[The Kingdom of Denmark is under a new form of hybrid-warfare-like attack — from the west. And the most frightening thing is not even the threat itself, but to a large extent the absence of realistic countermeasures.]
Det er decideret hybrid krigsførelse, når amerikanerne forsøger at købe sig til et valgresultat i Grønland, vurderer to eksperter. Det lyder ganske problematisk: en allieret, der fører aktiv hybridkrig mod en anden allieret. Det er ikke desto mindre den virkelighed, Danmark og Grønland befinder sig i, når USA tager en bred vifte af metoder i brug for at lægge pres på Rigsfællesskabet.[It clearly amounts to hybrid warfare when the Americans try to buy their way to an election result in Greenland, two experts assess. It sounds quite problematic: an ally conducting active hybrid warfare against another ally. Nevertheless, this is the reality that Denmark and Greenland find themselves in when the United States employs a broad range of methods to exert pressure on the Realm.]
André Ken Jakobsson, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark, is a scholar of 'hybrid warfare,' in which a country uses economic punishment, cyberattacks, and other aggressive means to harm another country, sometimes in concert with military operations. He told me, The U.S. has been using all of its means short of conventional war in its campaign to try to get Greenland. We're uncertain—and that is how hybrid warfare works—how to interpret some of the actions.
Media from Commons
