European NATO allies have issued a joint statement on Greenland, warning the United States that they “will not stop defending” the values of sovereignty and territorial integrity when it comes to the Danish-governed territory.
The statement was issued by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Prime Ministers Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Keir Starmer of Britain, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Donald Tusk of Poland and Pedro Sánchez of Spain.
A Trump aircraft arrives in Nuuk, Greenland, in January 2025. Emil Stach / AFP via Getty Images
“The Kingdom of Denmark — including Greenland — is part of NATO,” the statement said. “Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.”
It added that “the United States is an essential partner in this endeavor, as a NATO ally” and through a 1951 defense agreement allowing Washington to build military bases on the vast island. “Greenland belongs to its people,” it added. “It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” it added.