Aaja Chemnitz, Greenland’s representative in Denmark’s parliament, has issued a stark warning to her constituents, urging them to “go into preparation mode” and take President Trump’s territorial ambitions far more seriously. Her call for readiness comes as Trump intensifies pressure to acquire the Arctic territory, triggering a diplomatic crisis that has prompted Denmark to threaten NATO withdrawal if Washington pursues military action.
Chemnitz directly accused Trump of “spreading lies about Chinese and Russian warships” near Greenland, contradicting the president’s justification for seeking control of the territory. Trump has claimed that Russian and Chinese vessels frequently patrol Greenland’s waters, creating security vulnerabilities that Denmark cannot address. However, Chemnitz characterized these assertions as fabrications designed to legitimize American expansionist goals in the strategically vital Arctic region.
Trump has repeatedly stated that the United States needs Greenland for national security purposes, claiming Denmark lacks the capability to adequately protect the territory. Greenland occupies the shortest missile route between Russia and the United States and hosts an American military base. The territory also possesses significant untapped rare earth mineral deposits and is gaining importance as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping routes.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen delivered an unprecedented warning that any US military attack on Greenland would completely destroy NATO and eighty years of transatlantic security cooperation. This stark ultimatum came after Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela, where American forces seized President Nicolas Maduro and announced indefinite US control. The Venezuelan operation has intensified European fears that Trump might employ similar tactics against Greenland despite Denmark’s NATO membership.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has publicly demanded Trump cease his pressure campaign and respect international law, while maintaining openness to dialogue through proper diplomatic channels. The crisis has unified Europe in support of Denmark, with the European Union, Britain, France, and Nordic nations all affirming that only Greenland and Denmark can determine the territory’s future. The situation escalated further when Katie Miller, wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, posted imagery depicting Greenland in American flag colors, which Nielsen condemned as disrespectful.
