America’s European allies stood united Monday against President Trump’s escalating campaign to take control of Greenland. accuses him of blackmail with a new threat of tariffs if they continue to reject his offer to the US to acquire the huge island. Mr. Trump, meanwhile, appeared to indicate that he was still willing to use the U.S. military to achieve his goal.
In a message sent to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and shared with other NATO allies, Mr Trump said this was due to the decision Award the Nobel Peace Prize to someone other than yourself This year he no longer feels obliged to “think only about peace”. and that he “can now think about what is good and right for the United States of America.”
In the next sentence, Mr. Trump refers to his controversial demand that the United States take possession of Greenland, which has been a territory of America’s ally Denmark for centuries. He reiterates his assertion that only complete US control can prevent this strategic arctic island from falling into the hands of China or Russia.
Trump’s claims about the security of Greenland and the USA
America’s closest allies in NATO have rejected Mr Trump’s argument, as have US lawmakers on both sides of the aislethat the US must own Greenland for security reasons.
They note that Greenland already falls under the protection of the transatlantic alliance as Danish territory, that the United States has had at least one military base on the island since World War II, and that Denmark has openly invited Washington to increase that defense presence in partnership with its allies.
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Despite these facts and the efforts of Denmark and other European NATO members to show understanding and willingness to face increasing competition Controlling important new shipping routes around the resource-rich island, Mr. Trump again asserts in his message to the Norwegian leader that “the world is not safe unless we have complete and total control of Greenland.”
He argues that Denmark is unable to secure Arctic territory in the face of Russian and Chinese threats – threats made by Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. described as fictional over the weekend.
“Denmark cannot protect this country from Russia or China,” Trump wrote, ignoring the fact that protecting Greenland has been a shared responsibility for nearly 80 years, ever since the United States and its European allies committed themselves to the principle of shared security in the NATO founding treaty.
In the note, Mr. Trump, as before, questions Denmark’s right to claim Greenland, arguing that the basis is only that “a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we also had boats that landed there.”
Denmark became a colonial power in Greenland in the early 18th century, about 50 years before the United States became a sovereign nation with its own navy. Greenland remained a Danish colony until 1953, when the island achieved its current semi-autonomy.
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Although the population is tiny at about 60,000 people, Greenland has its own elected government, and both the island’s leaders and the Greenlandic people have made it clear that they do not want to become part of the United States
Norway’s head of state responds to Trump’s message
The Norwegian government shared a statement on Monday from Prime Minister Støre, confirming that he received the message from Mr. Trump on Sunday afternoon.
He said it was in response to a text message he sent with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
“In our message to Trump, we expressed our opposition to his announced tariff increases against Norway, Finland and selected other countries. We highlighted the need for de-escalation and suggested a telephone conversation between Trump, Stubb and me on the same day. Trump’s response came shortly after the message was sent,” Støre said in the statement, adding that it was Mr. Trump’s “decision to share his message with other NATO leaders.”
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“Norway’s position on Greenland is clear. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark in this matter. We also support NATO taking steps in a responsible manner to strengthen security and stability in the Arctic,” Støre said.
He added: “As for the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly stated – including to President Trump – that the prize will be awarded by an independent Nobel committee and not by the Norwegian government.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Monday that the president “believes that Greenland is a strategically important location that is critically important from a national security perspective” and is “confident that Greenlanders would be better served if they were protected by the United States from modern threats in the Arctic region.”
The British leader doubts that Trump will use the US military to take over Greenland
Mr Trump stunned America’s NATO allies over the weekend threatens to introduce new tariffs to Denmark and seven other European nations if they continue to reject his demands to take over Greenland.
After talks on Sunday, the eight countries issued a joint statement saying they were “committed to strengthening Arctic security as a common transatlantic interest” while reaffirming their support for Denmark and Greenland.
They said they were “ready to engage in dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we firmly stand behind” and warned that threats of tariffs “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has good relations with Mr Trump and spoke to him by telephone on Sunday, acknowledged in a televised address on Monday morning that the Arctic region “will require greater attention, greater investment and stronger collective defence” and said the US would “play a central role in these efforts and the UK stands ready to contribute fully alongside our allies through NATO.”
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“But there is a principle here that cannot be ignored because it is at the core of how stable and trustworthy international cooperation works, and therefore any decision about the future status of Greenland rests solely with the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark,” Starmer said.
“Denmark is a close ally of the United Kingdom and the United States – a proud NATO member that has stood side by side with us over the past decades, even at the cost of real human sacrifice,” Starmer said, referring to Danish troops who fought alongside U.S. and British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the NATO alliance.
“Alliances endure because they are based on respect and partnership, not pressure. That is why I said that using tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is neither the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland’s security as a justification for economic pressure,” he said. “A trade war is in no one’s interest.”
As for Trump not ruling out using the American military to seize territory from a NATO ally, Starmer said he didn’t think it would happen.
“Not really,” he said. “I think this can and should be resolved through a calm discussion, but applying the principles I have set out, about who decides the future of Greenland.”
