President Trump has positioned Chinese and Russian naval activity near Greenland as a primary justification for his territorial ambitions, though Beijing has forcefully rejected these claims as fabricated pretexts for American expansionism. The accusations have become central to Trump’s argument that Denmark cannot adequately protect the strategically vital Arctic territory, triggering a diplomatic crisis that threatens NATO’s cohesion and transatlantic security arrangements.
Trump asserted that Russian and Chinese ships are “all over” Greenland’s coastline, creating security vulnerabilities that only American control could address. China’s foreign ministry responded sharply, urging Washington to cease using the “so-called China threat as an excuse to seek personal gain.” Aaja Chemnitz, Greenland’s representative in Denmark’s parliament, went further by accusing Trump of “spreading lies about Chinese and Russian warships” and urging Greenlanders to take Trump’s threats seriously by entering preparation mode.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued an extraordinary warning that any US military action against Greenland would terminate NATO and destroy post-World War II security frameworks. Her statement came as Trump intensified pressure following his military intervention in Venezuela, where American forces seized President Nicolas Maduro. Trump announced plans to “run” Venezuela indefinitely and exploit its oil reserves, providing a troubling precedent for potential action against Greenland.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen publicly confronted Trump’s pressure campaign, demanding cessation of annexation fantasies and insisting on respect for international law. While expressing openness to dialogue through proper diplomatic channels, Nielsen later worked to calm public anxiety by characterizing a US conquest as unrealistic and advocating for restored bilateral cooperation. He emphasized that panic was unwarranted and productive contact with Washington should be re-established.
The controversy has generated broad European support for Denmark, with the European Union, Britain, France, and Nordic nations all affirming Denmark’s territorial integrity. The crisis escalated when Katie Miller, wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, posted imagery depicting Greenland in American flag colors, which Nielsen condemned as disrespectful. Denmark’s ambassador to Washington highlighted existing cooperation on Arctic security and called for continued alliance solidarity, while Copenhagen residents expressed bewilderment at Trump’s aggressive rhetoric toward a longtime ally that already provides military access to Greenland.