Six major NATO member states joined Denmark on Tuesday in saying the United States must abide by the alliance’s rules amid escalating tensions over Greenland.
Greenland and Denmark alone have the right to make decisions relating to Greenland’s future, seven NATO member states including Denmark said on Tuesday in a joint statement issued by the Danish government.
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the statement said.
The statement is signed by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen alongside the government leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.
The countries said that sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders were “universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”
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The European leaders’ joint statement said: “Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security.
“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up.
“We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”
They stressed that Denmark — including Greenland — was part of NATO.
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“Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders,” the leaders said.
“These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”
The statement was signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
They added that the US was “an essential partner in this endeavour”.
Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela has reignited fears about Trump’s designs on the autonomous Danish territory, which has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a vital player as polar ice melts, opening up new shipping routes.
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” the US leader said Sunday.
With the situation in Venezuela more pressing, “we’ll worry about Greenland in about two months,” Trump quipped Sunday before immediately changing that time frame to “20 days.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the joint statement.
“This support is important in a situation where fundamental international principles are being put to the test. I want to express my sincere gratitude for this support,” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“In a situation in which the American president has once again said that the US is very serious about Greenland, this support from our allies in NATO is very important and unambiguous,” he said.
With reporting from AFP.