US President Donald Trump on Sunday doubled down on his repeated claim that Greenland should become part of the United States, citing national security concerns, despite strong objections from Denmark and European allies.
Read More: Denmark firmly rejects Trump’s Greenland plans
Speaking aboard Air Force One while returning to Washington, Trump said: “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” The president has long highlighted Greenland’s strategic Arctic location and its wealth of critical minerals as justification for US interest.
The controversy intensified over the weekend when Katie Miller, wife of one of Trump’s top aides, posted an image of Greenland’s flag recolored in US flag tones with the caption “SOON.” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the notion that the US should annex Greenland as “absolutely absurd” and urged Washington to stop “threatening its historical ally.”
🚨President Trump: “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We Need Greenland!”pic.twitter.com/4wvNOfVgA7
— Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) January 5, 2026
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen condemned Miller’s post as “disrespectful,” emphasizing that the island is “not for sale” and that its future is not determined by social media gestures. He added that there was no reason for panic or concern.
European leaders expressed unease over Trump’s aggressive foreign actions, including the recent US military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the detention of President Nicolas Maduro in New York. Trump has said the United States will now control Venezuelan oil resources indefinitely, and some analysts see his Greenland ambitions as a continuation of a broader strategic agenda.
Read More: Why does Trump want the US to control Greenland?
Denmark’s ambassador to the US, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, issued a diplomatic reminder that Greenland is a NATO territory and that Copenhagen has “significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts” in cooperation with Washington.
Trump, in an interview with The Atlantic, remained firm on Greenland’s importance: “But we do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense.” The remarks come amid heightened tensions over Arctic security, US interventions in Latin America, and concerns among allies about respect for international law.