Keir Starmer has said the UK stands firmly with Denmark after Donald Trump once again suggested the United States should take control of Greenland, triggering alarm across Europe and reigniting fears about Washington’s approach to territorial sovereignty.
The Prime Minister made the remarks after Trump told The Atlantic that the US “needs Greenland, absolutely”, framing the autonomous Arctic territory as a strategic military necessity. The comments came just days after Trump ordered military strikes on Venezuela and escalated rhetoric against several foreign governments, raising fresh concerns about his foreign policy posture.
🇬🇧 Starmer: Greenland’s future is not America’s to decide
Asked to respond to Trump’s comments on Monday, Keir Starmer left little room for ambiguity.
“Well, I stand with her, and she’s right about the future of Greenland,” he said, backing Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who had earlier warned Washington to stop making threats against a close ally.
Pressed on whether Trump should refrain from suggesting a US takeover of Greenland, Starmer said the issue was not hypothetical at all.
“Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark are to decide the future of Greenland, and only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said. “Denmark is a close ally in Europe, it is a NATO ally, and it’s very important the future of Greenland is for Greenland and Denmark alone.”
The intervention marked one of Starmer’s clearest public breaks with Trump since returning to office, underlining Labour’s desire to present Britain as a stabilising force in transatlantic relations.
🇩🇰 Denmark issues blunt warning to Washington
Frederiksen responded sharply to Trump’s remarks over the weekend, rejecting any suggestion that the territory could be transferred or annexed.
“The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom,” she said. “I would therefore strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another people who have very clearly said they are not for sale.”
Greenland, while self-governing, remains part of the Danish realm and has repeatedly stated that its long-term future will be decided by its own population, not by external powers.
🇫🇷 France joins growing European pushback
France also moved quickly to align itself with Denmark, warning that Trump’s language risked undermining long-standing international norms.
A spokesperson for the French foreign ministry said: “Greenland belongs to Greenland’s people and to Denmark’s people. It is up to them to decide what they wish to do. Borders cannot be changed by force.”
The remarks reflect growing unease among European governments that Trump’s rhetoric could embolden challenges to territorial sovereignty elsewhere on the continent.
🇬🇱 Greenland’s leader: ‘Disrespectful and wrong’
Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, described Trump’s comments as deeply troubling.
“When the President of the United States says that ‘we need Greenland’ and links us to Venezuela and military intervention, it’s not just wrong,” he said. “It’s disrespectful.”
Nielsen’s statement underscored fears in Nuuk that Greenland is increasingly being discussed as a strategic asset rather than a nation with political agency and democratic rights.
🇺🇸 White House figures fuel fresh anxiety
Concerns intensified further over the weekend after Katie Miller, a former Trump administration official and the wife of US homeland security adviser Stephen Miller, shared an image online depicting Greenland draped in the American flag with the caption “SOON”.
While unofficial, the post was widely interpreted as reflecting the mindset of Trump’s inner circle and added to speculation about how seriously the White House is considering a more aggressive stance.
🇨🇳 Why Greenland matters strategically
Greenland’s importance lies in both geography and resources. Sitting between North America and Europe, it occupies a key position for missile defence systems and Arctic surveillance. The island already hosts a major US military installation at Thule Space Base, operated under long-standing agreements with Denmark.
Beyond defence, Greenland is believed to contain vast untapped mineral wealth, including rare earth elements and billions of barrels of undiscovered oil and gas. As climate change accelerates Arctic ice melt, access to these resources – and to new shipping routes – has become a growing focus for global powers including the US, China and Russia.
🌍 A test of post-war norms
Trump’s remarks have revived uncomfortable questions about the durability of post-Second World War rules governing borders, sovereignty and alliances. While previous US administrations pursued influence through diplomacy and defence agreements, critics argue Trump’s language marks a shift toward open territorial ambition.
For Starmer, the episode provides an early test of his government’s foreign policy instincts – balancing the UK’s relationship with Washington while making clear that European borders, and European allies, are not bargaining chips.
As Denmark, France and Greenland push back in unison, the dispute is fast becoming more than rhetorical. It is shaping into a defining moment for how the West responds when one of its most powerful members openly challenges the rules it once helped to write.
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