Denmark Protests, But Trump Maintains US Must Have Greenland for Security

Trump Stands Firm on Greenland Despite Danish PM’s Protests.

US President Donald Trump has reiterated that the United States “needs Greenland” for national security, dismissing appeals from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to abandon the idea of taking over the autonomous territory.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Monday, Trump said, “Greenland is very strategic right now. It’s covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place… we need it for defense.” He had made similar remarks in an interview with The Atlantic, drawing sharp reactions from Denmark and Greenland.

Frederiksen said, “It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom.” Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called Trump’s comments “disrespectful,” adding, “Linking Greenland to Venezuela and military intervention is simply wrong.”

Trump has long highlighted Greenland’s strategic importance. In March, US Senate hopeful JD Vance visited a remote military base there, criticizing Denmark for under-investing in its defense infrastructure. Amid rising US military activity, including the recent operation in Venezuela, concerns have grown about Greenland’s strategic vulnerability.