Trump Escalates Greenland Dispute

The US President Donald Trump said Denmark has failed to act against what he described as a Russian threat to Greenland, declaring that the time for action has arrived and that it will happen.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said he had warned Denmark for two decades that Greenland’s security could not be ignored. He argued that despite repeated messages from allies, Denmark had done nothing to address the situation, adding that the issue could no longer be postponed.

Trump has repeatedly insisted that he will accept nothing less than US ownership of Greenland, the self governing territory that remains under Danish sovereignty. He has framed the issue as a matter of national security, saying American control of the island is necessary to protect US strategic interests. 

Rejection

Leaders in Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected Trump’s position, stressing that the island is not for sale and does not wish to become part of the United States. Washington’s allies within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have also supported that stance, underlining that Greenland’s future is not open to negotiation.

Amid the growing dispute, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is due to meet ministers from Denmark and Greenland on Monday at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The talks come as tensions rise between European allies and the United States over Greenland.

Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen are expected to attend the meeting, which takes place as Trump continues to push his demand to take control of the territory.

Pressure

The dispute has been further intensified by Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on European countries. On Saturday, he said the United States would introduce tariffs of ten percent on goods from eight European states starting in February, rising to twenty five percent from June if no solution satisfying him is reached.

Trump said the measures would affect Denmark as well as Germany, France, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland and Sweden. He made it clear that the outcome he is seeking is what he described as the complete and total purchase of Greenland.

The remarks have increased concern across Europe, as the standoff over Greenland increasingly spills into trade and alliance politics, placing additional strain on transatlantic relations.