European Leaders Caution Trump That Greenland Falls Under NATO Protection

Barely hours after Donald Trump and his administration launched an attack in Venezuela that led to the capture of the country’s president and his wife, accompanied by claims that the United States would now take control of the country, Trump widened his offensive rhetoric to other nations. He verbally targeted countries including Cuba, Iran and Mexico, while also reviving a position he first advanced at the beginning of his second term: the idea of a complete U.S. takeover of Greenland. That renewed stance prompted an immediate and firm response from Europe, where leaders pushed back against Trump’s remarks and warned the American president that Greenland, as part of the Danish realm, is protected under NATO, drawing a clear line against any attempt to challenge the alliance’s security framework.

In the wake of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Donald Trump drew renewed international attention — and alarm — with his comments about Greenland’s strategic value. According to recent reports, Trump reiterated long-standing U.S. interest in the Arctic territory and suggested a specific timeframe for revisiting the issue, saying he would «worry about Greenland in about two months» and was prepared to discuss the matter «in 20 days», remarks that resonated as a direct follow-up to the Venezuela episode and intensified concerns among European leaders about U.S. intentions toward a NATO ally.

As European leaders gathered in Paris for talks with a U.S. envoy on the Ukraine peace process, the focus of the meeting shifted sharply to Donald Trump’s renewed threats against a NATO ally and his rhetoric surrounding a potential U.S. takeover of Greenland. Leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark jointly rebuked the premise that one ally could unilaterally challenge the security of another, issuing a statement that left little room for ambiguity. They stressed that «The Kingdom of Denmark — including Greenland — is part of NATO» and underlined that «Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively», directly countering Trump’s assertions and reaffirming the alliance’s principle of shared defense at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension.

European leaders further emphasized that «the United States is an essential partner in this endeavor, as a NATO ally», while insisting that Washington must respect the right of the people of Greenland and Denmark to «decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland». Their message directly counters the Trump administration’s argument that Greenland’s geostrategic importance justifies a stronger U.S. claim as part of its role within NATO, a stance that has unsettled allies across Europe. Behind the diplomatic language lies a deeper concern that any attempt by the United States to coerce or threaten a fellow NATO member would represent a historic rupture of the post-World War II international order. Those fears intensified after Stephen Miller said on CNN that «Nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over Greenland,» a remark widely interpreted in European capitals as dismissive of alliance principles and reinforcing anxieties about how far Washington might be willing to push its position.