In a defiant New Year's address, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a robust rebuke to former US President Donald Trump's renewed campaign to annex Greenland, declaring her nation will "stand firm" against the pressure.
A Defiant Stance from Copenhagen
During her televised speech on Thursday evening, Frederiksen, leader of the ruling Social Democrats, pointedly addressed the threats emanating from Washington. "Never before have we increased our military strength so significantly, so quickly," she stated, according to reports from the Danish newspaper Berlingske.
She highlighted the unsettling nature of the pressure from a traditional ally. "In the past year, we have had to pay attention to a lot. Threats. Pressure. Derogatory language. From our closest ally for a lifetime," Frederiksen told the nation. She firmly rejected the notion that a country and its people could be treated as a commodity, stating, "About wanting to take over another country, another people. As if it was something you could buy and own... We are not the one's seeking conflict. But let no one be in any doubt: No matter what happens, we will stand firm on what is right and wrong."
Trump's Renewed Push and Danish Response
The prime minister's strong words come directly after Trump, who returned to office in 2025, intensified his efforts to make Greenland part of the United States. His strategy included appointing a new special envoy to the territory with the explicit goal of annexation. Last week, he named Louisiana's Republican Governor, Jeff Landry, to the role, sparking fresh outrage in Copenhagen.
Trump has repeatedly framed the acquisition as a matter of national security. At a press conference on December 23, he argued, "We need it for national protection," and dismissed Denmark's historical ties to the vast Arctic island.
The Danish response has been a unified front across the kingdom. King Frederik X, in his own annual New Year's Eve address, echoed the themes of strength and unity without mentioning Trump by name. He praised Greenlanders' "strength and pride" during a "turbulent time" and highlighted new military training programmes in Greenland as part of a "stronger defence".
Broader Implications and Local Sentiment
The escalating rhetoric has already shifted Denmark's strategic outlook. In a historic move in early December, Denmark's intelligence service officially labelled the United States a potential threat to its national security, citing Washington's willingness to use economic and military power against allies.
On the ground in Greenland, the US consulate in the capital, Nuuk, continues to seek unpaid interns to help communicate US policy priorities, a move that could see local taxpayers indirectly funding outreach for an annexation they largely oppose. Polls consistently show that Greenlanders overwhelmingly reject becoming part of the US.
This dispute, centred on a strategically vital Arctic territory, now represents one of the most significant diplomatic rifts between the two NATO allies, testing the resilience of their longstanding partnership.
