Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Denmark has issued one of its strongest warnings yet to the United States, cautioning that any American attempt to take control of Greenland would trigger a profound rupture within the NATO alliance and could bring the military bloc to an end.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered the warning on Monday in response to renewed calls by US President Donald Trump to place the strategically located Arctic island under American control. Trump’s comments, which resurfaced during the early months of his second term, have reignited tensions between Washington and Copenhagen and raised alarm across Europe.
Speaking to Danish broadcaster TV2, Frederiksen said that an attack by one NATO member against another would fundamentally undermine the alliance. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything collapses, including our NATO alliance and the security order that has existed since the end of World War II,” she said.
Greenland, a vast and mineral-rich Arctic territory, is a semi-autonomous region within the Kingdom of Denmark and therefore covered by NATO’s collective defense framework. While it manages its internal affairs, Denmark remains responsible for its foreign policy and defense. Any attempt to alter Greenland’s status by force, Danish officials argue, would constitute a direct challenge to international law and alliance solidarity.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to US national security, citing its location along key Arctic routes and its untapped natural resources. He has refused to rule out the use of military force, and his remarks on Sunday, including a statement suggesting the issue could be addressed within weeks, intensified concerns that Washington might be contemplating concrete steps.
These fears have been amplified by recent global developments, particularly a US military operation in Venezuela over the weekend that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The surprise operation, carried out under the cover of darkness in Caracas, sent shockwaves through international capitals and heightened anxiety in Denmark and Greenland over the possibility of similar unilateral actions elsewhere.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen joined Frederiksen in condemning Trump’s rhetoric, warning that it risks destabilizing not only the Arctic region but the broader international system. European leaders have largely rallied behind Denmark, expressing solidarity and reaffirming their commitment to respecting existing borders and alliance norms.
Frederiksen stressed that Trump’s statements should not be dismissed as mere political posturing. “We must take him seriously when he says he wants Greenland,” she said. “We will not accept a situation where Denmark and Greenland are threatened in this way.”
Nielsen, meanwhile, sought to calm public anxiety while underscoring Greenland’s distinct status. Speaking at a press conference, he rejected comparisons between Greenland and Venezuela and urged unity among Greenlanders. “We are not in a situation where we expect our country to be taken over overnight,” he said. “That is precisely why we insist on cooperation and dialogue.”
The dispute highlights growing strains within NATO at a time when the alliance is already grappling with geopolitical instability, from the war in Ukraine to rising tensions in the Arctic. For Denmark and its allies, the Greenland question has become a test of whether the principles of collective security and respect for sovereignty can withstand mounting pressure from within the alliance itself.
