Europe, US Must Stick Together on Arctic Security, Danish Prime Minister Says

Mette Frederiksen made the comments alongside Greenland’s prime minister at a talk in Paris.

Military vessel HDMS Knud Rasmussen of the Royal Danish Navy patrols near Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Evgeniy Maloletka

Europe and the United States must stick together as they share concerns over Arctic security, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Jan. 28.

“The world order as we know it that we have been fighting for 80 years is over and I don’t think it will return,” Frederiksen, alongside Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, told a conference at Sciences Po University in Paris.

“If we allow Russia to win in Ukraine, they will continue. The best way forward for the United States, Europe is to stick together.”

Frederiksen and Nielsen are slated to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in the city later in the day as they seek to shore up support from European allies amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to take over the Danish Arctic island.

“We are under pressure, serious pressure,“ Nielsen said. ”We are trying to push back from the outside. We are trying to handle our people who are afraid, scared.”

He said Greenland agrees that there needs to be more surveillance and security in the region “because of the way Russia acts now.”

Trump’s goal of acquiring Greenland has rocked transatlantic relations and boosted European efforts to reduce dependence on Washington.

Frederiksen said the crisis had shown that most Europeans were on the same page and had been able to unite to push back on Trump’s demands, notably his threat of additional tariffs on European nations.

Trump last week ruled out the use of force to take the Arctic territory.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen looks at the sunset in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 23, 2026. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

Trump also told reporters on Jan. 22 that the United States will work with NATO to secure Greenland. On Jan. 21, he met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland. The president said he formed a framework for a future deal for Greenland and the greater Arctic region during the meeting. Later on Jan. 22, while aboard Air Force One, Trump said that “there is no time limit” in the deal.

“You hear about 99 years, 50 years,“ he said. ”It’s forever. We can do military, we can do anything we want. It’s being negotiated, and let’s see what happens. I think it’ll be good.

“We have a lot of great things in the deal. And don’t forget they’re also good for Europe because when we’re good, they’re good. And if we’re not good, that’s not very good for them because we hold it all together. We’re all going to work together, and NATO is going to be involved with us. We’re going to be doing, in conjunction, parts of it, in conjunction with NATO, which is really the way it should be.”

The United States is not going to have any expense as part of the deal other than building the Golden Dome, the president said.

The Golden Dome project, pushed forward by the Trump administration, involves creating a network of sensors and weaponry across Earth and space that enables the United States to intercept cruise missiles, hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones.

When asked whether Denmark is on board with the concept, Trump replied: “I think everyone likes it. ... I’ll let you know in about two weeks.”

Naveen Athrappully and Reuters contributed to this report.