A political showdown over Greenland, and possibly a military one, is looking increasingly possible as President Donald Trump doubles down on his long-standing threat to take over Denmark’s semiautonomous territory “one way or the other.”
In the wake of the U.S. invasion of Venezuela, Europe’s major military powers are taking Trump’s ramped-up rhetoric with renewed seriousness. And in what appeared to be unthinkable just months ago, the escalating geopolitical conflict could pit the United States against its longtime NATO partners—a troubling sign of the U.S.’s eroding relationships with its closest allies.
Here’s what to know about the situation.
Denmark, Greenland, and U.S. to meet at White House
The U.S. and Denmark, both members of the NATO military alliance, are scheduled, along with Greenland’s foreign minister, to meet on Wednesday at the White House. Both Greenland and Denmark have made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, and their people do not want to be a part of the United States.
Europe, NATO respond to U.S. threat
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made their position known in a joint press conference on Tuesday: “If we have to choose between the USA and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO . . . and the EU,” Nielsen said, according to Danish public broadcaster DR.
A day earlier, Andrius Kubilius, the European commissioner for defense and space, said that if Denmark requested help in the event of U.S. military action, the European Union could provide security for Greenland, which he said would, in effect, end the NATO alliance, per Reuters.
Also on Monday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, “When it comes to the Arctic region . . . collectively as an alliance, the collective defense [of Greenland] is crucial . . . and we do everything to protect that territory.”
Why does Trump want Greenland, anyway?
Trump, for his part, has said taking over Greenland would prevent Russia and China from grabbing the strategically located mineral-rich region in the Arctic—which has a wealth of natural resources and sits on the shortest route between the U.S. and Europe.
Beijing, however, has argued this explanation is merely “an excuse” for Trump to justify more territorial expansion of the U.S.
Remind me, how did we get here?
Back in March, the Trump administration sent an uninvited delegation to the autonomous Danish territory, which, at the time, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede called “highly aggressive” and a “provocation.” That trip included second lady Usha Vance, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.