European leaders have rushed to the defense of Greenland after President Donald Trump resurrected discussions of annexing the island territory for national defense purposes.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday “reaffirmed France’s unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland.”
“Greenland belongs to its people. Denmark stands as its guarantor. I join my voice to that of Europeans in expressing our full solidarity,” he said.
Trump said on Tuesday that the United States “needs Greenland for national security — not for minerals or oil, but national security.”
“If you take a look at Greenland, there are Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. So, we need this for protection,” he said.
Trump named Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) as a special envoy with the purpose of “integrating Greenland into the United States.” The selection of a sitting governor as envoy is highly unusual, not least because Landry is set to hold his office until 2028. However, he said the appointment will not interrupt his duties.
In a Monday endorsement on Truth Social, Trump said, “Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, while acknowledging that “Arctic security remains a key priority for the European Union,” guaranteed the European Union’s “full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”
“Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law,” she wrote. “These principles are essential not only for the European Union, but for nations around the world.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered similar affirmations.
“Respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity is central to the EU and to all nations of the world,” he wrote on social media. “Security in the Arctic is a priority in which we seek to work with allies and partners.”
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a multiterritorial sovereign state composed of Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and metropolitan Denmark. The territories are united under the Danish monarch, currently King Frederik X.
One year ago, Trump began making overtures to Greenland, projecting that it would one day be a territory of the United States. The story dominated headlines for days and spurred statements and symbolic gestures from the Greenland government, the Danish monarchy, and European allies, all of whom were caught off guard by the seemingly illicit threat to annex the island if necessary.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a dispassionate defense of the policy. Vice President JD Vance made a goodwill trip to the island territory in March.
Negotiations seemed to quiet down as matters such as the Panama Canal and trade tariffs eclipsed the White House’s Greenland lobby, but the Trump administration never let go of its plan.
In June, the U.S. military quietly moved Greenland from the purview of U.S. European Command to U.S. Northern Command, the latter of which is tasked with the defense of the homeland.
In August, Danish intelligence officials issued a report to the foreign ministry alleging an “infiltration” and “influence operation” by U.S. operatives seeking to undermine the island’s political ties with Copenhagen.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen summoned the U.S. charge d’affaires for a meeting over the report.
Trump’s appointment of Landry has brought renewed ferocity to the annexation threat, a nightmare for Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who has time and time again rebuffed Trump’s advances.
“We have once again woken up to a new statement from the American president, who has now appointed a Special Envoy to Greenland,” Nielsen said on Monday. “It may sound significant. But it changes nothing for us.”
“Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people, and territorial integrity must be respected,” he continued. “We are happy to cooperate with other countries, including the United States, but this must always take place with respect for us and for our values and wishes.”
Nielsen and his political party are hardly even fans of their place within the Kingdom of Denmark, previously floating an interest in pursuing Greenland’s independence as a nation.
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The struggle with the U.S. seems to have sparked renewed appreciation for the island in metropolitan Denmark.
Frederik X updated the royal coat of arms during the first spat with Trump in 2024 to give Greenland and the Faroe Islands more prominent placement.
