While US President Donald Trump has long mused about making Greenland a part of the US for national security reasons, his focus on the self-governing island that’s part of the Kingdom of Denmark has intensified in recent days following the audacious US raid to capture the leader of Venezuela. That action has sparked new fears among allies over Trump’s willingness to deploy the US military to achieve his foreign policy goals.
Trump’s fiery rhetoric has sparked alarm in Europe and a flurry of diplomatic activity as officials try to ascertain his intentions.
On Sunday, Germany’s vice chancellor — who’s flying to Washington this week for a meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers convened by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — called on the US to respect Greenland’s sovereignty and international law.
“It is solely a matter for Denmark and Greenland to decide on the future of Greenland,” said Lars Klingbeil, who also is Germany’s finance chief. “Territorial sovereignty and integrity must be respected. These principles of international law apply to everyone — including the United States. We are working together as NATO allies to increase security in the Arctic, not against each other.”
Klingbeil isn’t the only top German official visiting the US capital this week. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is also set to meet his American counterpart Marco Rubio there after a visit to Iceland.
“Where there are different views, we want to work on these differences in dialog in order to do justice to our shared responsibility for peace and security,” Wadephul said in a statement before his departure. The North Atlantic is “strategically important for our common security,” he said, adding that he plans to discuss how best to “bear this responsibility in NATO — in view of old and new rivalries in the region by Russia and China – together.”
“The legitimate interests of all NATO allies, but also those of the inhabitants of the region, must be at the heart of our considerations,” Wadephul said. “Of course, this also applies to Greenland and its people.”
The UK is in talks with allies over whether to send troops to Greenland as part of a possible NATO mission, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph. When asked about the report on Sky News, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said they were part of normal discussions with allies to defend Greenland against any Russian threat.
NATO sea forces are “practising together in the harsh conditions of the far north to keep this strategically important region safe,” the alliance said in a post on X on Sunday.
