European leaders rally behind Denmark after Trump's remarks on Greenland

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: EUROPEAN AND NATO LEADERS' REACTIONS TO U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S COMMENTS ON GREENLAND, GENERAL VIEWS OF GREENLAND

SHOWS: President Donald Trump has said the United States must own Greenland, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent Russia or China occupying the strategically located and minerals-rich territory in the future.

Trump on January 4, 2026 told The Atlantic magazine: "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence."

Trump's renewed push for Greenland, after U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, worries many of the island's 57,000 inhabitants, whose widely held goal is to eventually become an independent nation.

OVER THE COAST OF WESTERN GREENLAND, GREENLAND (FEBRUARY 7, 2025)(REUTERS - Access all)

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Denmark's prime minister on January 5, 2026 said U.S. President Donald Trump must be taken seriously when he says he wants to acquire Greenland, and she reiterated that the arctic island did not want to be part of the United States.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (JANUARY 5, 2026) (TV2 – No use Denmark)

3. (SOUNDBITE)(Danish) DANISH PRIME MINISTER, METTE FREDERIKSEN, SAYING:

“Firstly, I believe that the American President should be taken seriously when he says that he wants Greenland. But I also want to make it clear that if the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops. That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.

(Reporter asking question: But is there a small part of you that thinks that everything could well end with this president?)

“I do everything I can for the opposite. I believe in democracy and I believe in the international rules. Of course, I also believe that you do not change borders by force, either in one way or another. It is not only the position of Denmark and the Danish Kingdom, fortunately, of Europe too, so I hope that people will also take note of the, once again, significant European support that we are receiving.”

Leaders from major European powers expressed support for Denmark and Greenland on January 6, 2026 in a joint statement, saying the Arctic island belongs to its people, following renewed interest by U.S. President Donald Trump in taking over the Danish territory.

"Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," said the statement by leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Britain, and Denmark.

The leaders said that security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively with NATO allies, including the United States.

INTERNET (RELEASED JANUARY 6, 2026) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

4. VARIOUS OF JOINT STATEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA X PLATFORM FROM LEADERS OF FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, POLAND, SPAIN, BRITAIN, AND DENMARK READING (English):

"6 January 2026

Joint Statement on Greenland

Statement by President Macron of France, Chancellor Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Frederiksen of Denmark on Greenland.

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. The Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland - is part of NATO.

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.

The United States is an essential partner in this endeavour, as a NATO ally and through the defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951.

Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

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NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 9, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

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The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, EU Council President Antonio Costa said on January 7.

"On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland," Costa said in a speech marking the assumption by Cyprus of the rotating presidency of the EU.

NICOSIA, CYPRUS (JANUARY 7, 2026) (EUROPEAN UNION – Access all)

9. EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANTONIO COSTA WALKING TO PODIUM

10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT ANTONIO COSTA SAYING:

"On Greenland, allow me to be clear: Greenland belongs to its people. Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland. They have the full support and solidarity of the European Union.(OVERLAID WITH CUTAWAYS OF CROWD, AND CHRISTODOULIDES AND VON DER LEYEN, AND WIDE OF COSTA ) Europe will remain a firm and unwavering champion of international law and multilateralism."

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 7, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. VARIOUS OF HOUSES IN DIFFERENT COLOURS OVERLOOKING THE SEA

The EU has discussed what a European response would look like if the U.S. threat on acquiring Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, is real, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on January 8.

"The messages that we hear regarding Greenland are extremely concerning," Kallas told reporters at a press briefing with Egypt's foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

NEW ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL, EGYPT (JANUARY 8, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

“Of course, the messages that we hear regarding Greenland are extremely concerning, and we have had discussions also among the Europeans, so if this is a real threat, and if it is, then what would be our response. So as Denmark has been a good ally for the United States and all these statements are not really helping the stability of the world, I would say.”

Poland is worried about the strain the United States' threat to take over Greenland is putting on NATO, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on January 9, adding that as a loyal ally, Warsaw should be honest with Washington about its concerns.

WARSAW, POLAND (JANUARY 9, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

13. CAMERA VIEWFINDER SHOWING TUSK

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH PRIME MINISTER, DONALD TUSK, SAYING:

"Yes, I'm very concerned about the Greenland issue, and I'm also very concerned about the events in the United States, and everything that's building such ideological and political tension within NATO and the United States itself."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on January 9, she did not believe the United States would use military force to seize Greenland, warning that such a move would have grave consequences for NATO.

ROME, ITALY (JANUARY 9, 2026) (ITALIAN PRIME MINISTRY POOL - Access All)

15. NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING

16. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI, SAYING:

"I continue not to believe in the hypothesis that the United States would launch a military action to take control of Greenland, an option that I clearly would not support; I've already put that in writing, but which I believe would benefit no one. I think it wouldn't even benefit the United States of America, to be clear."

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 9, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney asserted that only Denmark and Greenland should decide the Arctic island's future, following U.S. remarks raising annexation concerns.

"The future of Greenland is a decision exclusively for the people of Greenland and Denmark," Carney said during a press conference in Paris on January 6.

PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 6, 2026) (CANADIAN POOL VIA CBC - No use Canada)

18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY, SAYING:

"The future of Greenland is a decision for Greenland and for Denmark exclusively. It's their decision. Secondly, from a NATO context, the way I would frame it is that the western flank of NATO, which would include Greenland, the Arctic, is, given the evolving threat environment, an area that we as NATO, Canada, obviously, importantly, given our geography, need to invest more in. This is a point that we've been making in recent years, and since I became Prime Minister, that we've really stressed. And with our buildup that's just beginning of our military capabilities, we are making heavy investments in the Arctic."

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 9, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on January 8 said his country would support the integrity of European allies Denmark and Ukraine.

MADRID, SPAIN (JANUARY 8, 2026) (SPANISH GOVERNMENT TV - Access all)

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPANISH PRIME MINISTER, PEDRO SANCHEZ, SAYING ON GREENLAND AND DENMARK:

“I believe it is important for Spain’s clear voice to be heard when denouncing the threat to the territorial integrity of a European state, a state that is an ally of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO, as is the case of Denmark, because this simply cannot be accepted, and we cannot accept it either as a country or as a government.”

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 9, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

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German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the future of Greenland was for its people and Denmark to decide, adding that he was sure NATO would remain united, as he met his French, Indian and Polish counterparts in Paris on January 7.

PARIS, FRANCE (JANUARY 7, 2026) (AGENCY POOL - Access all)

24. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, JOHANN WADEPHUL, SAYING:

“It is absolutely clear that the fate of Greenland will be decided by the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, to whose territory Greenland belongs. The principles enshrined in the U.N. Charter - sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of borders - must be respected. All questions concerning security in the Arctic region must, of course, be discussed within the NATO framework, and that is what we are doing. There is also a constant willingness to discuss any open issues within the alliance. I am very pleased that our colleague (Marco) Rubio has now announced that he will also speak with the government of the Kingdom of Denmark about such matters. That is certainly sensible and worthy of support."

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - APRIL 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

25. DANISH PRIME MINISTER, METTE FREDERIKSEN, MEETING OUTGOING GREENLANDIC PRIME MINISTER, MUTE EGEDE

26. VARIOUS OF FLAG OF GREENLAND

French President Emmanuel Macron said as he arrived in Greenland on June 15, 2025 that his visit aimed to show the solidarity of France and the European Union over the Arctic island's "sovereignty" and "territorial integrity"

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - JUNE 15, 2025) (AGENCY POOL - Access all)

27. FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON, DANISH PRIME MINISTER METTE FREDERIKSEN AND GREENLANDIC PRIME MINISTER JENS-FREDERIK NIELSEN WALKING AND TALKING

28. (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING:

“I come here to understand the challenges but also to affirm that France and the EU stand in solidarity with the territorial sovereignty and integrity of this region.”

NUUK, GREENLAND (FILE - MARCH 7, 2025)(REUTERS - Access all)

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