European leaders have rallied behind Denmark and Greenland after a senior US aide suggested Washington might use force to seize the Arctic territory. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement declaring that Greenland “belongs to its people”.
The statement, also signed by the prime ministers of Denmark, Italy, Poland and Spain, stressed that only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning the semi-autonomous territory. The rare European rebuke came in response to renewed US demands for control over Greenland, which holds significant oil, gas and rare earth mineral reserves.
Speaking at a Paris press conference later, Starmer reiterated British support for Denmark, saying he had been “very clear” about the UK government’s position. The comments were made in the presence of Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The crisis was triggered by remarks from US presidential aide Stephen Miller, who told CNN that “nobody is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland”. Miller claimed military intervention would not be needed due to Greenland’s small population. Earlier, President Donald Trump had stated the US needed Greenland “very badly”.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that an attack on Greenland would risk the collapse of the Nato alliance. European leaders emphasised that Arctic security must be achieved collectively with Nato allies, not through unilateral US action. Former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts said annexation would be “disastrous” for Nato, amounting to the end of an alliance based on trust.
The White House later confirmed that utilising the US military to acquire Greenland “is always an option”. Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, has requested an urgent meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss the situation.
