Greenland and Denmark have issued firm rejections of US President Donald Trump's latest call for American control over the Arctic island, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declaring once again that Greenland is "not for sale" and that Denmark stands ready to defend "every inch" of its territory.

Frederiksen made her remarks to reporters on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, responding directly to comments Trump had made the previous day at a press conference alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark," Trump said of Greenland, arguing that the dispute had damaged Washington's relationship with the alliance and citing the strategic importance of the territory due to increased Russian and Chinese naval activity in the region. He went further, suggesting he could withdraw all US soldiers from Europe — a threat that has shadowed his dealings with NATO allies since his return to office.

Greenland's Foreign Minister, Mute Egede, was equally unequivocal. Rejecting any form of external control, Egede wrote on social media that the territory's future must be decided by its own people. "That's how it has always been. And that's how it always will be," he said, while reaffirming Greenland's commitment to cooperation with its allies.

Greenland is the world's largest island, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark situated between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. Both Denmark and the United States are founding members of NATO. Trump first raised the idea of acquiring Greenland during his first term in office, but the issue returned with greater urgency in early 2026, after he declined to rule out the use of force to assert US control — triggering a diplomatic crisis with Denmark and the European Union. The dispute was subsequently channelled into formal talks; Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in June that monthly conversations with Copenhagen and Nuuk were still ongoing.

Frederiksen stressed at the Ankara summit that all allies should respect Danish sovereignty and Greenland's right to self-determination — pointing to a fundamental tension between Washington's strategic ambitions in the High North and the foundational principles of the alliance both countries helped to build. With no resolution in sight, the standoff continues to strain one of NATO's most longstanding partnerships at a moment of broader geopolitical pressure on the alliance.