Europe has been jolted into the new year by a fresh diplomatic storm, as the United States president, Donald Trump, has renewed threats to take over Greenland, prompting a fierce rebuke from the Danish prime minister and a show of solidarity from Nordic allies.
A Stern Rejection from Copenhagen
In an extraordinary statement, the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, was forced to publicly address the US president, declaring that his suggestions "make absolutely no sense". She firmly stated that "the US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish kingdom".
Frederiksen went further, urging the United States to cease its threats against a historically close ally and against the people of Greenland, who have clearly expressed they are not for sale. Her position was swiftly and pointedly reinforced by a coalition of regional leaders, highlighting the widening rift.
Nordic Solidarity and Trump's Defiance
The leaders of Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—Alexander Stubb, Kristrún Frostadóttir, Jonas Gahr Støre, and Ulf Kristersson—all publicly backed the Danish stance. From Nuuk, Greenland's own prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, labelled Trump's comments as "completely and utterly unacceptable" and "disrespectful" in a Facebook post.
Undeterred, President Trump doubled down on his claims while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, 5 January 2026. He argued that the US needed Greenland for national security, mockingly suggesting Denmark's recent security boost for the territory was "one more dog sled".
"We'll worry about Greenland in about two months … let's talk about Greenland in 20 days," Trump added, leaving the prospect of further escalation hanging in the air.
A Chaotic Start to 2026
This geopolitical spat caps a tumultuous first week of the new year, which has already seen:
- US military action in Venezuela dividing EU leaders.
- A major energy blackout in Berlin.
- A disruptive airspace control outage in Greece.
- Heavy snowfall across parts of Europe.
- Fresh Russian attacks on Ukraine.
The situation has undoubtedly caused headaches for the so-called 'Danish Trump watcher', a official role created to monitor the US president's statements. As one commentator paraphrased a popular meme: "What a year, huh? Captain, it's only 5 January." For transatlantic relations and Arctic stability, the ride ahead looks bumpy.
