Key Takeaways
• UK supports Greenland's autonomy ||| • Tensions rise over US interest in Greenland ||| • Only Greenland and Denmark can decide ||| • Greenland refuses American control suggestion
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently made an official public statement that Greenland should be determined by both Greenlanders themselves and Denmark, following comments by US President Donald Trump that implied his country needed “control” over this large Arctic territory.
Starmer’s statements come amid rising tensions caused by President Donald Trump’s apparent interest in Greenland — something he claims would be strategically beneficial to US defence — and an ongoing military operation in Venezuela that has raised new worries of expanded geopolitical ambitions by Washington.
Starmer refrained from directly criticising Trump’s actions but asserted that only Greenland and Denmark can determine Greenland’s future, emphasizing international law and sovereignty as essential principles to be observed when discussing any decision regarding Greenland. His remarks echo Mette Frederiksen of Denmark who recently issued an urgent plea asking Washington to cease what she termed as “threatening rhetoric” regarding Greenland.
Greenland’s leaders have expressed strong objections to American control of Greenland; Greenland’s Prime Minister stated that any suggestion of annexation was unwelcome and stated his country isn’t up for sale. Furthermore, other European allies such as Finland and France echoed these sentiments by emphasizing international law must be upheld while Denmark still bears primary responsibility for Greenland defense.
Situation is reflective of wider concerns over territorial sovereignty and geopolitical competition in the Arctic — where strategic value, resource potential and climate change impacts become ever more pressing factors in global diplomacy.
