Trump Demands NATO Action on Greenland Security/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump warns NATO to support U.S. efforts to control Greenland ahead of VP JD Vance’s key diplomatic meeting. Citing threats from Russia and China, Trump insists American control is essential for national security. Danish officials push back, reaffirming loyalty to NATO and the EU.
Trump’s Greenland Ultimatum Quick Looks
- Trump calls on NATO to back U.S. acquisition of Greenland
- Cites “Golden Dome” missile defense system as critical to U.S. security
- Warns of Russian and Chinese ambitions in Arctic region
- Vance and Rubio meet with Danish, Greenlandic leaders in Washington
- Denmark’s PM reaffirms commitment to EU, NATO over U.S. control
- Trump dismisses Danish PM’s statement, calls it “a big problem”
- Danish intel confirms Russian and Chinese military buildup in Arctic
- Greenlanders display resistance to U.S. influence through local protests
Trump Demands NATO Action on Greenland Security
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump issued a blunt warning to NATO on Wednesday, demanding the alliance support the United States in asserting control over Greenland. The statement comes just hours before a critical White House meeting between Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and senior officials from Denmark and Greenland.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared, “The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security,” emphasizing that the island is “vital for the Golden Dome that we are building.” The Golden Dome is a next-generation missile defense initiative designed to protect the U.S. homeland, modeled in part after Israel’s Iron Dome system.
Trump made it clear that he expects NATO to assist with the U.S. acquisition of Greenland, warning: “IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” He further asserted, “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
The warning highlights mounting tensions between Trump’s administration and NATO allies, particularly over the future of Greenland — a semiautonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark. Many European leaders, including those in Denmark, have resisted Trump’s ongoing push to bring Greenland under U.S. control.
In a follow-up post, Trump shared a report from Just The News citing a recent Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS) assessment, which warned of growing Russian and Chinese military activity in and around the Arctic. “NATO: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW! Two dogsleds won’t do it! Only the USA can!!!” Trump wrote.
According to DDIS’s Intelligence Outlook 2025, both Russia and China have increased their military capabilities in the Arctic. Russia continues its strategic military buildup, while China is enhancing its ability to operate submarines and surface ships in the region. Despite rising tensions, the report also noted that neither the war in Ukraine nor growing U.S. focus on Greenland has altered Russia’s long-term interests in the Arctic.
The Trump administration’s aggressive stance has stirred strong political reactions within Greenland and Denmark. At a Tuesday press conference in Copenhagen, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen rejected Trump’s claims outright.
“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU,” Nielsen stated, as reported by the Associated Press.
Trump brushed off the remarks, telling reporters, “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him.”
The diplomatic standoff comes as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are meeting at the White House with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt. The talks are expected to focus on Arctic security, regional sovereignty, and the increasing military interest of global powers in Greenland.
The White House has not ruled out military options. In an earlier statement, it confirmed a “range of options” was being considered in response to growing threats in the Arctic, adding to speculation that the U.S. may further bolster its defense footprint in Greenland.
Greenland, a strategically vital landmass between North America and Europe, has drawn global attention not just for its location but for its rich natural resources and emerging shipping routes as polar ice continues to melt. However, public sentiment in Greenland has been largely opposed to American acquisition.
In a symbolic act of protest, Danish artist Jens Martin Skibsted has been distributing “Make America Go Away” baseball caps, which have appeared throughout Greenlandic towns such as Sisimiut. The gesture reflects growing discomfort with the idea of foreign control, especially by the United States.
As geopolitical pressures mount and Arctic competition intensifies, the fate of Greenland may prove to be one of the defining foreign policy challenges of the Trump administration’s second term.
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