The geopolitical tensions surrounding the Arctic have reached a new level. Denmark has publicly called on Donald Trump to cease any threat to annex Greenland, after a series of statements and political signals from Washington that deeply unsettled Copenhagen and Nuuk.
Une sortie de Trump sur le Groenland qui fait déborder le vase
Last Sunday, the American president bluntly reiterated that the United States ‘needed Greenland’, citing reasons of national security. In response, the wife of one of his closest advisers published an image of Greenland covered with the American flag, accompanied by a simple word: ‘soon’. A message seen as a direct provocation.
These statements come at a time already marked by the American military intervention in Venezuela and an increasingly assertive discourse around a ‘hemispheric defense’ doctrine where Washington intends to dictate rules far beyond Latin America.
Réplique ferme de Copenhague et de Nuuk
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered her most direct response yet, urging the United States to stop threats deemed incompatible with the relationship between historical allies. She emphasized that the United States had ‘no right’ to annex a part of the Danish kingdom, which includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands. This message was echoed by Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen, who described the American rhetoric as ‘unacceptable’ and called for an end to pressures and ‘fantasies of annexation’.
Le Groenland, point névralgique stratégique
For Washington, Greenland has once again become a central piece on the geopolitical chessboard. Its position in the Arctic, the increasing militarization of the region, and the rivalry with Russia and China fuel the American argument. Trump has been accusing Denmark for months of neglecting the island’s security.
Copenhagen strongly denies this, pointing out that Greenland is covered by NATO security guarantees and highlighting the existence of a bilateral defense agreement already allowing American military presence on the island. In recent years, the United States have significantly reduced their forces on site, from over 10,000 soldiers to less than 200 today.
Un message qui inquiète les alliés européens
Beyond the Greenland case, the episode fuels a broader discomfort in Europe. After Venezuela, the remarks on Greenland reinforce the idea that Washington is willing to challenge fundamental red lines, even between NATO allies.
For Denmark, the issue is as much symbolic as it is strategic. It is about defending the kingdom’s territorial integrity against an increasingly unabashed American pressure. For markets and geopolitical observers, this verbal confrontation confirms one thing: geopolitics in 2026 has become more unpredictable, more brutal, and now capable of shaking even the oldest alliances.
