Trump Says US Control of Greenland Is Non-Negotiable

Donald Trump on Wednesday said that US control of Greenland is “non-negotiable,” intensifying a growing diplomatic row just hours before JD Vance was due to meet Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington.

In a post on his social media platform, Trump reiterated his long-standing claim that the United States “needs Greenland for national security” and argued that NATO should help Washington secure the Arctic island. He warned that failure to do so could allow Russia or China to expand their influence in the region.

“NATO would become much stronger and more effective with Greenland under US control. Anything less than that is unacceptable,” Trump wrote.

Greenland has emerged as a focal point of geopolitical tension after Trump openly renewed his desire to take control of the semi-autonomous territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Both Greenlandic and Danish leaders have firmly rejected the idea, stressing sovereignty and self-determination. The White House has also declined to rule out the use of force, further alarming US allies.

Vice President Vance is scheduled to hold talks with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt to discuss the dispute and broader Arctic security concerns.

Ahead of the meeting, France’s foreign minister sharply criticized what he described as US “blackmail” over Greenland, highlighting growing unease among European allies. Several NATO members have stressed that Denmark’s sovereignty and international law must be respected.

In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, residents expressed anxiety over the escalating rhetoric. Tuuta Mikaelsen, a 22-year-old student, told the Associated Press she hoped US officials would “back off” and respect Greenland’s wishes.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, speaking in Copenhagen, said that if forced to choose, Greenland would stand with Denmark, NATO, the Danish kingdom and the European Union. Trump dismissed those remarks, warning the issue could become “a big problem” for the Greenlandic leader.

Greenland’s strategic importance has grown rapidly as climate change melts Arctic ice, potentially opening shorter shipping routes to Asia and increasing access to vast reserves of critical minerals used in advanced technologies. While Trump has cited alleged threats from Russian and Chinese vessels to justify US control, experts and Greenlandic officials have questioned the credibility of those claims, warning that the dispute risks fracturing transatlantic unity.