European NATO leaders just drew a line in the Arctic — and they didn’t bother softening the message for Washington.
In a blunt joint statement issued Tuesday, leaders from eight NATO countries responded to Donald Trump’s threat of taking Greenland by declaring that “Greenland belongs to its people” and that only Denmark and Greenland have the right to decide the island’s future.
The message was a direct rebuke of a sitting U.S. president — and America’s strongest allies made sure it was public.
The statement came after Trump’s administration again floated the idea of the United States taking control of Greenland, a vast Arctic territory that is autonomous but part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly insisted Greenland should become part of the U.S., and he has pointedly refused to rule out the use of force.
That alone has rattled Europe. What pushed leaders to respond now was Trump’s escalating rhetoric following U.S. military action against Venezuela and the reported capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro. European officials clearly saw a pattern forming — and they moved to shut it down.
According to Newsweek, the statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Denmark, whose sovereignty Trump has openly questioned, led the charge.
The group emphasized that NATO’s role in the Arctic has expanded — but not as a cover for American land grabs.
“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up. We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark—including Greenland—is part of NATO,” the statement said, according to Newsweek.
Then came the part clearly aimed at Trump.
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
No diplomatic hedging. No “mutual discussions.” No “strategic conversations.” Just a flat rejection of Washington’s claim that Greenland is up for grabs.
The statement also stressed that Arctic security must be handled collectively, “by upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”
“These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them,” the leaders said.
That language matters — because it mirrors the same arguments NATO uses to justify its support for Ukraine against Russia. European leaders are signaling that those principles don’t disappear when the pressure comes from Washington instead of Moscow.
The statement did acknowledge that the United States remains “an essential partner” in Arctic security, both as a NATO ally and through the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the U.S. But that nod to cooperation was immediately undercut by Denmark’s warning about what would happen if Trump crossed the line.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen made it explicit: if the United States attacked another NATO country militarily, “then everything stops.” That includes the alliance itself — the same alliance the U.S. has leaned on since World War II.
Trump, meanwhile, continues to argue that U.S. control of Greenland would somehow benefit Europe. On Sunday, he claimed an American takeover would be good for the EU — a claim European leaders clearly reject.
Inside the White House, the tone has only added to the unease. In an interview with CNN on Monday, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller openly questioned Denmark’s claim over Greenland. He stopped short of confirming whether the U.S. would use force — but notably, he didn’t deny it either.
As of Tuesday morning, the White House had not responded to the European statement.
