Donald Trump Threatens Greenland Annexation Over Alleged Foreign Presence

Donald Trump stated that the United States needs to acquire Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying the mineral-rich territory in the future. To justify this position, the president claimed that Russian and Chinese vessels and submarines are operating near the island and reportedly ordered U.S. special operations commanders to draft an invasion plan.

Government officials in Denmark and Nordic diplomats refuted these claims. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed the reports of foreign ships as false, with Rasmussen specifically denying that any such vessels were inside the Nuuk fjord. Diplomats with access to NATO intelligence clarified that while Russian and Chinese activity exists in the Arctic, it is located on the Russian side rather than around Greenland.

In response to the threat of annexation, the Greenland assembly scheduled an urgent meeting to discuss the situation. Simultaneously, the Government of China criticized the U.S. position. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged the U.S. to stop using other countries as excuses to pursue its own interests, arguing that activities in the Arctic should promote peace, stability, and sustainable development.