EU reaffirms support for Denmark amid US delegation’s visit to Greenland

ISTANBUL

European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper on Monday reaffirmed the EU’s support for Denmark in response to an upcoming visit to Greenland by a high-level US delegation.

Speaking at a daily press briefing in Brussels, Hipper addressed both the visit and US President Donald Trump’s statements on the potential "annexation" of the autonomous Danish territory.

"The EU stands fully in support of the Kingdom of Denmark. We will continue to uphold the principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will not waver in defending them, particularly when the integrity of an EU member state is questioned," she said.

When asked whether the EU had been silent on support for Greenland, Hipper said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s position was “crystal clear.”

"We have repeatedly voiced our support from the highest levels," she said.

Hipper also confirmed the EU has no plans to send a high-level delegation in response to the US visit.

The US delegation – including Vice President JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz – is scheduled to visit Greenland later this week.

Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Mute B. Egede described the visit as “very aggressive American pressure” in an interview with the Sermitsiaq newspaper on Sunday.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, citing its strategic importance for US and global security.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been an autonomous territory of Denmark since 1979. Situated between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, it is rich in minerals and strategically located in the Arctic.

Both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposal to sell the territory. A survey conducted in January found that 85% of Greenland’s population opposes joining the US.

Recently, Greenland’s Prime Minister-elect Jens-Frederik Nielsen urged European countries to stand with the territory, asserting that it is not for sale.

“Stand with us and make clear that Greenland is not and will never be for sale. Greenland is run by the Greenlandic people and that will never change,” Nielsen told Anadolu.