The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has said that “borders must not be moved by force” after a meeting with Denmark’s leader, Mette Frederiksen, intended to show European unity as Donald Trump presses his demands to gain control of Greenland.
The Danish prime minister met Scholz in Berlin, before meetings with the French president, Emmanuel Macon, in Paris, and the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, in Brussels later on Tuesday. Trump said over the weekend: “I think we’re going to have [Greenland]” and was reported to have threatened Denmark with tariffs over the Danish territory.
The US president has refused to rule out using military force to take the Arctic island, part of the kingdom of Denmark, which continues to control its foreign policy and defence.
At a joint press conference in Berlin, neither Scholz nor Frederiksen mentioned Trump or Greenland, but it seemed clear the issue was on their minds.
After speaking about Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and how “inviolability of borders is a fundamental principle of international law”, Scholz said: “The principle must apply to everyone. I made that clear again from this point a few days ago. Borders must not be moved by force.” Switching to English, he added: “To whom it may concern.”
Frederiksen said Europe was currently facing a “more uncertain reality” that called for greater cooperation: “We need a stronger and more resolute Europe standing increasingly in its own right, capable of defending and promoting Europe and the European interests,” she said. “We have to take more responsibility for our own security.”
EU leaders will hold their first summit dedicated to defence next Monday, to discuss funding and new military capabilities. Defence has risen up the agenda since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, but the return of Trump, who has previously said he would encourage Russia to attack Nato allies considered not to be paying their fair share, has made the issue more urgent.
So far most EU leaders have refrained from commenting directly on Trump’s incendiary comments about Greenland, which sources said was a deliberate strategy. A senior EU official said it had been decided “not to go for a tit-for-tat because it is not seen as helpful”.
The official said at this stage “instead of escalating it is probably more useful” to let Denmark continue to represent itself, “but we are totally and fully supportive of them”. They added: “One of the challenges of the new administration will be the united reply [from the EU] but also to know when to reply, or are we just escalating a confrontation?”
The last 24 hours have brought a raft of announcements – including on defence and tackling racism against Greenlandic people in Denmark – by the Danish government, aimed at appeasing Greenlanders and the US.
It has been a challenging January for Frederiksen, as Denmark has been singled out by the US and publicly threatened not just with tariffs but potential military intervention over Greenland.
On Sunday night, amid leaks of her reportedly “horrendous” 45-minute call with the US president, she put on a show of Nordic unity by sharing a photo on social media of a cosy-looking dinner of what looked like home-cooked food at a kitchen table with the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, and the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb.
Among the plans announced by Denmark this week include a 14.6bn kroner (£1.64bn, $2.04bn) agreement with Greenland and the Faroe Islands to “improve surveillance and sovereignty assertion in the regions”.
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The plans include three new Arctic ships that can carry helicopters and drones, two long-range drones that can acquire detailed images over long distances, and improved “satellite capacity” to monitor the Arctic and northern Atlantic.
Trump has previously ridiculed Denmark’s defence plans for Greenland. By boosting spending, Copenhagen will hope to demonstrate that it is capable of defending Greenland.
The Danish government said the agreement would also enable more young people in Greenland to gain skills “to take responsibility for preparedness and asserting sovereignty”.
Another agreement between the parties to strengthen deterrence and defence is expected later in 2025.
The Danish government has also announced a plan aimed at tackling racism against Greenlanders. It has said the initiative, which has been years in the making, will allocate an additional 35m DKK over four years.
Strategically located between the US and Europe, Greenland is emerging as a geopolitical battleground, with great powers competing for its vast mineral wealth and rare earth elements that are critical for green technology. Across the wider Arctic region, China and Russia have been deepening their military cooperation, while new shipping routes are emerging as the climate crisis causes ice to melt.
