Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a strong statement on Friday, asserting that the question of Greenland’s ownership should not rest with U.S. President Donald Trump. Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, where he had engaged in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Carney emphasized that the future of Greenland is a matter for the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Carney’s call for NATO unity
During the press conference, Carney urged NATO allies, including the United States, to uphold their commitments and respect the sovereignty of Denmark over Greenland, a strategically important Arctic territory that Trump has controversially suggested could be acquired by the U.S.
“We are NATO partners with Denmark, and so our full partnership stands,” Carney stated. “Our obligations on Article 5, Article 2 of NATO stand, and we stand full-square behind those.”
Escalating tensions over Arctic interests
The issue surrounding Greenland has gained prominence amidst Trump’s heightened rhetoric regarding U.S. interests in the Arctic, contributing to increasing tensions between Washington and the European Union. In response to these developments, Denmark and several allied nations have announced plans to enhance their military presence in Greenland.
Following a meeting where Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers discussed the situation with senior U.S. officials in Washington, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked that the EU has “doubled down on investments and supporting Greenland.” She affirmed that the bloc would “continue our work on Arctic security with our allies, our partners, including the United States.”
Carney additionally noted that Greenland and matters of Arctic sovereignty were significant topics in his conversations with Xi, highlighting that he found considerable alignment in views on these issues.