In a series of provocative moves, former US President Donald Trump has escalated his efforts to wrest control of Greenland from Denmark, despite widespread international condemnation. Trump has shared AI-generated images on the social media platform Truth Social depicting himself and other top US officials planting the American flag on the Danish territory, declaring it as “US TERRITORY EST. 2026”.
The president has also threatened to impose steep tariffs on European goods unless Denmark agrees to relinquish Greenland, which he claims is vital for US security and to prevent Russia or China from gaining a foothold in the strategic Arctic region. In a scathing letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Trump criticised Norway’s decision not to award him the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he no longer feels “an obligation to think purely of Peace”.
Trump’s aggressive posturing has drawn sharp rebukes from European leaders, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who condemned the US president’s “great stupidity” in seeking to acquire the Chagos Islands from Mauritius. The French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte have also been targeted, with Trump sharing purported screenshots of messages in which they appear to endorse his Greenland ambitions.
Despite the global outcry, Trump remains undeterred, arguing that Denmark is incapable of protecting Greenland from the threats posed by Russia and China. He has also questioned Denmark’s rightful ownership of the territory, claiming that the US has an equal historical claim due to past expeditions and landings on the island.
As tensions escalate, the future of Greenland hangs in the balance, with the world watching to see whether the former US president’s unilateral push for control will succeed or be met with a united front of international opposition.
