Tensions between the U.S. and its allies boiled over as President Donald Trump doubled down on claiming Greenland for national security, prompting fierce backlash from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen. Trump’s interview with The Atlantic, where he stressed the island’s necessity against Sino-Russian naval expansion, has reignited a divisive debate.
Frederiksen, in a pointed DR podcast, lambasted the comments, advising seriousness toward Trump’s intentions. ‘Both Denmark and Greenland have turned down becoming part of America time and again,’ she declared, while noting Europe’s backing for border respect – though she can’t account for U.S. actions.
Starmer jumped in during a Sky News discussion, voicing solidarity with Frederiksen. Labeling Denmark a key NATO and European ally, he asserted, ‘The future of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark belongs to them alone.’ His support was unequivocal: ‘They’re correct, and I’m with them.’
In Westminster, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs that UK-Denmark security ties remain ironclad, with Greenland’s fate squarely in local hands.
Post-Venezuela maneuvers, Trump’s Arctic ambitions evoke his past bid to purchase the territory, scuttled by Danish defiance. Now, as ice caps recede, control over Greenland’s resources and routes grows paramount. Starmer’s stance signals Europe’s resolve against unilateralism, raising questions about NATO cohesion. Observers watch closely as this sovereignty clash unfolds, with implications for global power balances.