Trump Expresses Interest in Greenland and Its 55,000 EU Citizens, While EU Remains Silent

Are you a Greenlander concerned about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s latest assertion that American “ownership and control” of your homeland is a “necessity”?

If so, you may not find much reassurance from the EU’s diplomatic wing, the European External Action Service (EEAS), which appears to be keeping a low profile in response to Trump’s controversial remarks about a potential land acquisition.

“We do not comment on comments,” said Anouar El Anouni, spokesperson for EU foreign affairs and security policy, when asked about the issue.

Although Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark and not a member of the EU, it is classified as an “Overseas Territory” associated with the bloc. With a population of nearly 57,000 people, the vast majority of Greenlanders are EU citizens, as the island’s residents are primarily of Danish origin, leaving only around 2,000 as non-Danes.

Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland follows a similar proposition back in 2019. On Sunday, the former president revived the issue while appointing Kenneth Howery—a PayPal co-founder and former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden—as his new ambassador to Denmark.

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump declared in a post on the social media platform Truth Social.

Reactions have been swift, with many expressing opposition to the idea of Greenland coming under U.S. control.

“Greenland is ours,” stated Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede in a Facebook post on Monday. “We are not for sale and will never be for sale.” Egede emphasized that Greenland belongs to its people, urging them to protect their “long struggle for freedom.”

Denmark has backed Egede’s sentiments. Hours after Trump’s remarks, Denmark announced plans to increase its defense spending in Greenland to at least €1.3 billion, a move Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen referred to as an “irony of fate,” given the timing.

Greenland and Denmark have stood firm in their opposition to any notion of American ownership. While Greenland’s and Denmark’s governments did not immediately respond to inquiries from POLITICO, their positions remain clear: Greenland is not up for grabs.