Brussels – After forcibly removing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, the United States is targeting Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Danish crown. The scenario is not hypothetical, and the threats, voiced tonight aboard Air Force One by US President Donald Trump, are not veiled: ‘We need Greenland from a national security perspective, and Denmark will not be able to deal with it.” To be called into question is the European Union itself, which according to Trump “needs us to have Greenland.” An unexplained need that has alarmed European chancelleries.
The Contested Island
The prime minister of the “green island”, Jens Frederik Nielsen, who certainly does not want to end up like Maduro, is in the worst position. Since taking office in March, he has had to face repeated questioning of his sovereignty. “No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussion. But this must take place through the appropriate channels and in accordance with international law,” Nielsen wrote on Facebook. He was echoed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who recalled that it is “absolutely absurd to say that the US should take control of Greenland.”
The Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens Frederik Nielsen (Photo: European Parliament)
European leaders, as well as spokespeople for the European Commission, reminded Trump of the importance of international law, taking a tougher stance than the less clear-cut condemnations that followed the US attack on Caracas. “The EU continues to defend the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and at the same time continues to express solidarity with Greenland and Denmark,” said EU Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper.
A similar analysis came from the foreign ministries of France and Germany, while in Italy, the issue is entirely delegated to the institutions in Brussels. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, interviewed by RTL 102.5, recalled that “the EU must take its position and guarantee the independence of a territory that is part of the Danish Crown,” while omitting to outline an Italian position on Trump’s words.
The pre-emptive strike
In any case, international law does not seem to represent the most effective curb to US covetousness. To convince Trump of the futility of the threats, the Danish prime minister then reminded him that Denmark is part of NATO. By virtue of this membership, there is a defence agreement with the United States that grants Washington “broad access to Greenland.” Reassurances that, however, do not seem to be sufficient from the White House side.
The Trump administration considers the presence of Russian and Chinese ships around the frozen island dangerous, and Denmark is not doing enough to prevent it. In his usual brusque approach, Trump pointed out that Copenhagen has done nothing in the past year but send “a dog sled.”
This insufficient contribution would therefore serve as a pretext for a US intervention. In the strange declinations of international law used at the White House, in fact, a possible incursion into the Greenland ice caps would be preventive, as it was for the alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers. The reason was expressed by Donald Trump himself: “From a strategic and national security point of view, Greenland is very important.”
President Trump on Greenland:
You know what Denmark did recently to boost security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled. It’s true – they thought that was a great move. pic.twitter.com/VHMI6Q4nKd
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 5, 2026
Venezuela and Greenland, two different things
While the Venezuela-Greenland analogy seems clear in Washington, it does not in Brussels. “Greenland is an ally of the United States and is also covered by the NATO alliance. And this is a huge difference. We in no way see a possible comparison with what happened in Venezuela,” said Anita Hipper, spokesperson for the European Commission.
Reading that also pleases London, where the most extravagant twist on international law has occurred. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump’s close ally in Europe, in no way condemned the US incursion into Caracas, but was very tough on the claims about Greenland. “Denmark,” the premier said, “is our ally in Europe and an ally in NATO, and it is very important that the future of Greenland is decided only by the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland itself.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub