Which is exactly what Trump wanted them to do
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mission accomplished
There’s been a lot of discussion about madman Trump threatening to buy Greenland, or as the press claimed invade it and take it for the United States, but the reason he gave for his interest was less well reported: Greenland is almost entirely undefended, yet Denmark has done little to nothing in response to Russia’s and even China’s growing presence in the area. In fact, Denmark has been sheltering under the US security umbrella for years, as even some of its own citizens have noticed:
“In relation to NATO, Denmark has for decades opposed American interests by pursuing a peddling strategy that is about securing security policy guarantees from the United States while at the same time avoiding having to carry its share of the burden in NATO. Denmark has made the skill of cheating the US into an art. In January 2025, Denmark’s real contribution to NATO is approximately 1.7 percent of GDP excluding donations to Ukraine, directly contrary to the agreement of 2 percent of GDP. The SVM government claims that Denmark spends 2.4 percent of its GDP on defense and security, but the Danish attempt to cheat NATO has been condemned and rejected by several NATO countries and the former Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, as the donations to Ukraine do not contribute to Denmark’s or NATO’s defense capabilities.”
Now, Trump’s “threats” have borne fruit:
Denmark to increase military spending in North Atlantic by $2 billion amid row with Trump over Greenland
The government of Denmark says it will increase military spending in the North Atlantic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to have Greenland sold or ceded to the United States.
Late Monday, the Danish government announced an agreement of 14.6 billion-kroner – or nearly $2 billion – with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to "improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region."
The Defense Ministry in Copenhagen said those will include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.
Frederiksen warned that Europe faces what she called "a more uncertain reality" and said her country would be strengthening its military presence around Greenland.
The trip comes after Trump has repeatedly made various statements calling Greenland vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressed interest in purchasing it from Denmark. Trump has even said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to gain control of the island's territory.
Frederiksen didn't directly mention Trump's threat in comments at a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but she said that "we are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation."
She pointed to Russian activities in Ukraine and beyond and said that "it is up to Europe to define the future of our continent, and I think we have to take more responsibility for our own security."
And this:
EU MILITARY CHIEF SAYS IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PUT EUROPEAN TROOPS IN GREENLAND, WELT REPORTS
The top European Union military official, Robert Brieger, said it would make sense to station troops from EU countries in Greenland, according to an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag published on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in acquiring the Danish territory.
"In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station U.S. forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future," the chairman of the European Union Military Committee said.
Ultimately, such a step would require a political decision, the Austrian-born general said. The military committee is the highest military office of the European Council, but it serves as a consultative body since the bloc has no dedicated army.
U.S.-led NATO is the main military alliance for the EU.
"However, with increasing ice melt as a result of climate change, this also creates a certain potential for tension with Russia and possibly China," he said.
Trump has expressed an interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States. He has not ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.
Greenland's strategic location along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system, has made it a priority for Trump.