Jan 8, 2026, 7:13 amJan 8, 2026, 7:13 am
In the US Congress, several Republican party colleagues of President Donald Trump have expressed criticism of a possible military operation to annex Greenland. Senator John Curtis wrote on Platform The huge Arctic island of Greenland with around 56,000 inhabitants is largely autonomous, but officially belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark.
Strengthening our partnership with Denmark and Greenland and working with our allies to secure the Arctic is in America’s national interest. Military force is not appropriate, not necessary, and not something I will support. Full stop.
— Senator John Curtis (@SenJohnCurtis) January 7, 2026
Don Bacon, a member of the House of Representatives, criticized the government’s mind games on Greenland as harmful and only causing anger among NATO allies. He also told CNN that the idea of annexing Greenland was one of the “stupidest” things he had heard from the White House in a year. He hopes other Republicans will also clearly tell the government that it is on the wrong track here.
Senator speaks about possible referendum on US membership
Senator John Kennedy said after a congressional briefing by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that even a “moderately intelligent ninth grader” would know that invading Greenland would be “rocketically stupid.” Neither President Trump nor Secretary of State Rubio are stupid, he emphasized. “They are not planning to invade Greenland,” he told CNN. That does not rule out striving for a new legal basis for the defense of the USA and Greenland.
Republican Senator John Kennedy.Image: keystone
For example, there could be a referendum in Greenland about joining the USA, said Kennedy. A simple majority of those eligible to vote would be sufficient. «I’m not saying that will happen or won’t happen. But I think that’s really what the president means,” the senator continued.
Senator Tillis emphasizes the importance of NATO for the USA
Kennedy’s party colleague Thom Tillis also criticized Trump’s influential deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who had caused a stir with particularly harsh comments about Greenland. Miller should either know what he’s talking about or get a new job, the Republican demanded.
Thillis believes there is no more important alliance for the USA than NATO.Image: keystone
There is no alliance more important than NATO, even if Miller may not know anything about it, said Tillis. Denmark is an outstanding NATO member and the defense alliance is also crucial for the USA, he emphasized. Most of his colleagues – “whether they say it out loud or not” – also agree with him, the senator emphasized.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a US attack on Greenland, which belongs to Denmark and therefore NATO, would be the end of the Western defense alliance and the security architecture that has existed since the end of the Second World War.
The Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen.Image: keystone
Denmark and the government of Greenland firmly reject Trump’s claimed ownership of the Arctic island. The EU and numerous European countries also criticize the US government’s request. Trump has long said that the US “needs” Greenland for its national security. He has at times spoken of buying Greenland, but has not ruled out the use of the US military. The discussion flared up again after the recent US military attack in Venezuela. (sda/dpa)