Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has warned that a US military attack on Greenland would spell the end of Nato and post-second world war security. Her comments came after US President Donald Trump renewed threats to take over the largely autonomous island, a former Danish colony that remains part of the Danish kingdom.
Frederiksen told Danish television network TV2: 'If the United States decides to militarily attack another Nato country, then everything would stop – that includes Nato and therefore post-second world war security.' She accused the US of applying 'unacceptable pressure' and described the threats as an 'unreasonable attack on the world community'.
Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, made a direct statement urging Trump to abandon his 'fantasies about annexation'. In a social media post, Nielsen declared: 'Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more innuendo. No more fantasies about annexation.' He later sought to allay fears of an imminent takeover, stating: 'You cannot compare Greenland to Venezuela. We are a democratic country.'
The European Union backed Denmark and Greenland, with lead foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper saying: 'The EU will continue to uphold the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.' However, pressure is growing on Frederiksen, who faces a general election this year, to outline concrete plans for defending Greenland.
Aaja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic member of the Danish parliament, said Greenlanders should 'prepare for the worst' despite not believing an invasion is imminent. She described Trump's remarks as 'the worst and most serious' of his threats, marking the emergence of a 'new world order'.
