GENEVA

Several European countries expressed strong support Monday for Denmark and Greenland, rejecting any suggestion that the island nation’s future could be decided by outside powers and stressing respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity following remarks by US President Donald Trump.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to take control of Greenland, an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark, and has not ruled out doing so with military force.

A day after a US military operation in Venezuela that captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump on Sunday renewed his call for an American takeover of Greenland for the sake of US security interests.​​​​​​ Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged Trump to “stop the threats.”

Nordic and Baltic leaders were among the first to respond.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a post on the US social media company X’s platform that “it is only Denmark and Greenland that have the right to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” adding that Sweden “fully stands behind” Denmark.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Norway stands “fully and completely” behind Denmark, while Finnish President Alexander Stubb said "no one decides for Greenland and Denmark but Greenland and Denmark themselves."

Iceland’s Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir conveyed a similar message, saying “nothing about Greenland without Greenland.”

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics on X described Denmark as a "strong democracy" and "trusted" NATO ally, noting "Greenland is an integral part of (the) Kingdom of Denmark. Understanding legitimate security needs of (the) US, I believe those can be addressed in a direct dialogue between Denmark and (the) US, and within the collective defense framework."

Meanwhile, Estonian lawmaker Marko Mihkelson, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Estonian Parliament, said only Greenland and Denmark can decide their future and security.

Germany also issued a warning, with deputy government spokesman Sebastian Hille saying that Greenland belongs to Denmark and borders "must not be moved by force."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity “non-negotiable” while pledging solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Greenland’s future must be decided solely by Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, stressing Denmark’s role as a close European and NATO ally.

The European Union also reiterated its support. European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters that the bloc would continue to uphold national sovereignty and territorial integrity, while another spokesperson, Paula Pinho, underlined that Greenland is a NATO ally and not comparable to other recent US actions abroad.

"That is a big, big difference. So we therefore completely stand by Greenland, and in no way do we see a possible comparison with what happened," she said, referring to recent US military action in Venezuela.

France expressed solidarity as well, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux saying "there can be no change of borders by force."

In a post on X, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said "threats and annexation fantasies” toward Greenland were "unacceptable," stressing "full solidarity" with its people.