Thousands of protesters in Denmark are showing solidarity with Greenland following US President Donald Trump’s threats to annex the Arctic island.

Mr Trump says Greenland is vital to US security because of its strategic location and large supply of minerals and has not ruled out the use of force to take it. 

European nations have sent military personnel to the island at Denmark’s request.

Trump threatens tariffs on countries who oppose US Greenland takeover

The US president insists America needs to acquire the territory of NATO partner Denmark for national security reasons. 

Chanting “Greenland is not for sale” and holding banners with slogans such as “Hands off Greenland” alongside Greenland’s red and white “Erfalasorput” flag, demonstrators assembled in Copenhagen’s City Hall Square before marching toward the US embassy.

Julie Rademacher, chair of Uagut, an organisation for Greenlanders in Denmark said they were grateful for the “huge support”.

“We are also sending a message to the world that you all must wake up,” she said.

“Greenland and the Greenlanders have involuntarily become the front in the fight for democracy and human rights.”

There were protests in other locations across Denmark, and more are planned to take place in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.

Diplomatic crisis

Mr Trump’s repeated statements about the island have triggered an unprecedented diplomatic crisis between the United States and Denmark, both founding members of the NATO military alliance, and have been widely condemned in Europe.

The Greenland territory of 57,000 people, governed for centuries from Copenhagen, has carved out significant autonomy since 1979 but remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which controls defence and foreign policy, and funds much of its administration.

White House shrugs off European troops in Greenland

As European countries send small numbers of troops to Greenland, the White House says their presence will not affect US President Donald Trump’s ambitions for the island.

All five political parties elected to Greenland’s parliament ultimately favour independence, but they disagree on the timeline of such a move and have in recent days said they would rather remain part of Denmark than join the United States.

The protests in Denmark were organised by Greenlandic groups in cooperation with ActionAid Denmark, an NGO.

“We demand respect for the Danish Realm and for Greenland’s right to self-determination,” said Camilla Siezing, chair of Inuit, the Joint Association of Greenlandic Local Associations in Denmark.

Some 17,000 Greenlanders live in Denmark, according to Danish authorities.

Just 17 per cent of Americans approve of Mr Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland, and large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans oppose using military force to annex the island, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. 

Mr Trump called the poll “fake”.

Chris Coons speaks at a lectern with four people behind him and american flags in the background.

Chris Coons says he hopes the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people. (Reuters: Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard)

US delegation visits Denmark

A bipartisan US congressional delegation, which visited Denmark on Saturday, sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of their support following Mr Trump’s threat to punish countries with tariffs if they do not back the US taking over the island.

Delegation leader Senator Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said the current rhetoric around Greenland is causing concern across the Danish kingdom. 

He said he wants to de-escalate the situation.

Greenland rejects US takeover

NATO allies are now scrambling to discuss beefing up Arctic security in the hope it deflects Donald Trump away from his intensifying rhetoric towards the island territory.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” Senator Coons said in Copenhagen, adding that the US has respect for Denmark and NATO “for all we’ve done together”.

Senator Coons’ comments contrasted with those emanating from the White House. 

Mr Trump has sought to justify his calls for a US takeover by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their own designs on Greenland, which holds vast untapped reserves of critical minerals. 

“There are no current security threats to Greenland,” Senator Coons said.

Mr Trump said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in US hands would be “unacceptable”.

Trump threatens tariffs

During an unrelated event at the White House on Friday about rural health care, he recounted how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

“I may do that for Greenland, too,” Mr Trump said. 

“I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that.”

Earlier in the week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

How Greenlanders feel about Trump’s annexation talk

The United States has a long history of wanting to acquire Greenland, but people living on the island say Donald Trump’s latest comments about annexation feel different.

That encounter did not resolve the deep differences, but did produce an agreement to set up a working group — the purpose of which Denmark and the White House then offered sharply diverging public views.

European leaders have insisted it is only for Denmark and Greenland to decide on matters concerning the territory, and Denmark said this week that it was increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” Senator Coons said. 

“If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”

Reuters/AP