Greenland’s political leaders on Friday unanimously rejected recent comments by US President Donald Trump that suggested Washington might take steps to annex the Arctic island, saying only the people of Greenland can decide its future.
A joint statement signed by all five parties in Greenland’s parliament said they opposed any foreign intervention, hours after Trump said the US “will do something about Greenland, whether they like it or not.”
“We don’t want to be Americans, and we don’t want to be Danish; we want to be Greenlanders,” the statement said. “No other country can interfere with us in this. The future of our country is ours to decide.”
Trump, speaking at the White House, reiterated his view that US control of Greenland is essential to national security, saying Russia or China could expand their influence in the Arctic if they didn’t.
He said the United States would seek to achieve this through a “soft way” of negotiation, or a “hard way” if necessary, without completely ruling out the use of military force.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is home to about 57,000 people and is a self-governing territory under the Kingdom of Denmark. Officials in Copenhagen and Nuuk have repeatedly said that Greenland is not for sale.
In addition to its strategic location in the Arctic, Greenland is rich in natural resources, including rare earths and materials important for green technology. The island is also believed to have large reserves of oil and gas. Although most of these resources are difficult or expensive to extract, their importance has increased as global competition for supply chains and the Arctic has intensified.
Greenland’s party leaders said they would convene a meeting of parliament, known as Inatsisartut, to discuss Trump’s remarks and ensure that citizens’ rights are protected. The date of the meeting was not announced. The parliament last met in November and was expected to meet again on February 3.
Trump’s comments have also raised concerns among some European governments. Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have warned that any US attempt to annex Greenland could have serious consequences for the alliance. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said that such a move could effectively undermine the existence of NATO as it is currently known.
Under a treaty signed in 2009, Greenlanders have the right to declare independence, if they so choose, through a democratic process. While all five parties support independence in principle, they differ on the timing. The ruling coalition favors a gradual process, while the opposition Naleraq party, which won 24.5% of the vote in Greenland’s 2025 election, has called for immediate separation from Denmark.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet next week with Denmark’s foreign minister and representatives from Greenland, officials said. Trump first raised the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, which was quickly rejected.
