Europe on collision course with Trump after demanding US stop threats to seize Greenland
Europe hits back after Trump’s Greenland threat
- Donald Trump threatened to annex Greenland, saying the Arctic island is strategically important and needed for defence, days after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
- The idea of purchasing the country from Denmark, first suggested in 2019, drew widespread condemnation from the EU, Denmark, and other European and Nato countries, who emphasised upholding national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
- Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that Trump's statements should be taken seriously, while Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen urged Trump to abandon ”fantasies of annexation”, asserting the country is not for sale.
- The UN Security Council held an emergency session, where UN chief António Guterres stated the US had set a ”dangerous precedent” for the world order after its actions in Venezuela.
- UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed Denmark, agreeing that the future of Greenland is solely for the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland to decide.