EC on Greenland and Danish warning
BRUSSELS – The European Commission warned on Monday that security interests should never be used as an excuse for the annexation of Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, whose government warns that an American takeover of the island would mean the end of NATO.
“We want to remind everyone that Greenland is an ally of the United States and that it falls under NATO protection,” said Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho.
The Commission’s foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper said that the EU expects its partners to respect the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The EU will continue to defend the principles of national sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” Hipper stated. “This applies in particular to cases where the territorial integrity of an EU member state is called into question,” she added.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen told Danish television that Trump should be taken seriously and emphasized that if the United States were to attack another NATO member, it would mean the end of that military-political alliance.
“I want to make it clear that if the US decides to launch a military attack on another NATO country, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been in place since the end of the Second World War,” she said.
Greenland is rich in raw materials and, because of its location, is extremely important as a base for military control of the Arctic.
“We need Greenland for reasons of national security,” US President Donald Trump said on Sunday. He added that the island has great strategic importance and is currently surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships and that Denmark cannot guarantee its security. (5 January 2026)
