Trump : claims, “Ned Greenland from national security standpoint,” while Denmark advises the US to cease threats

Trump: A day after attacks on Venezuela led to the detention of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, US President Donald Trump reiterated that the US needed Greenland for national security reasons.

Addressing media on board the Air Force Trump said on Sunday night that the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic area made Greenland essential to US security.Greenland is essential to us. Right now, it’s really strategic. “Chinese and Russian ships are everywhere in Greenland,” Trump said. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

Trump went on to say that the concept is supported by Europe.They are aware that the European Union requires us to have it,” he said.

Trump’s comments were made the day after the United States captured former Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a midnight raid in Caracas as part of a spectacular military operation.

Trump has made it clear time and time again that he intends to acquire Greenland, a large, resource-rich island in the Atlantic that is Denmark’s independent territory. He has maintained that American defense interests need the annexation of Greenland.

The notion has been repeatedly rejected by Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States, and Greenland.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen reacted angrily and demanded that Trump cease threatening Greenland.”Talking about the necessity of the United States occupying Greenland is completely nonsensical,” Frederiksen said in a statement.She went on to say that the United States has no authority to annex any of the three countries that make up the Danish monarchy.Therefore, I would strongly advise the United States to halt the threats against a historically close partner as well as against another nation and its people, who have made it very plain that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on its way from Florida to Joint Base Andrews, CBS News, U.S. President Donald Trump has maintained that Greenland is essential to US security due to its strategic position in the Arctic and its supplies of crucial minerals utilized in high-tech sectors.

Trump reaffirmed his stance in an interview with The Atlantic earlier on Sunday.Without a doubt, we need Greenland. He told the magazine, “We need it for defense.”

Following a contentious social media post by Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, tensions increased even further. She shared a picture of Greenland painted in the colors of the US flag late on Saturday, only hours after the US military assault against Venezuela, according to CBS News.

There was just one word on the post: “SOON.”

Danish authorities immediately reacted negatively to the photograph.

Jesper Moeller Soerensen, Denmark’s ambassador to the US, replied on Sunday with a post of his own.Soerensen shared a link to Miller’s photo and said, “We expect full respect for the territorial integrity of Denmark.”He emphasized that the US and Denmark “work together to ensure security in the Arctic,” adding, “We are close allies and should continue to work together as such.”

Denmark “significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts” in 2025, according to Soerensen, demonstrating that it takes their “joint security seriously.”

According to CBS News, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also responded angrily, labeling the social media post “disrespectful” but stating unequivocally that it would not alter Greenland’s stance.In a statement translated from Greenlandic, Nielsen said, “Our nation is not for sale, and social media posts do not dictate our future.”We have robust institutions, free elections, and autonomy in our democratic society. Our stance is unmistakably based on globally recognized accords and international law. It is upright.

Trump’s recent remarks have exacerbated diplomatic tensions, particularly after his December appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, which was criticized by both Copenhagen and Nuuk, according to CBS News.

With Denmark firmly retaliating against Washington’s strategic claims, the conflict has become a new source of contention between longtime NATO members.