President Donald Trump has again floated the idea of annexing Greenland, telling reporters the vast Arctic island is needed “from the standpoint of national security” as tensions between Washington and Copenhagen escalated.

Trump — who has repeatedly raised the prospect of bringing the semi-autonomous Danish territory into the United States, citing both its strategic location and mineral riches — made the comments after a fresh public rebuke from Greenlandic and Danish leaders demanding an end to what they described as threats and fantasies of US control.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens Frederik Nielsen, said bluntly that “that’s enough now,” decrying the suggestion of annexation as unrealistic and insulting to Greenland’s people. “No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,” Nielsen said, while stressing Greenland remains open to dialogue conducted through proper channels and in accordance with international law.

Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, likewise pushed back, asserting that “the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom.” Frederiksen reminded Washington that Denmark — and therefore Greenland — is covered by NATO’s security guarantee and noted an existing defence agreement already gives the United States access to the island.

The latest spat was inflamed after Katie Miller, the wife of a senior Trump aide, posted a social-media image of Greenland overlaid with the American flag and the word “SOON.” The Danish ambassador to Washington responded with a “friendly reminder” that the two countries are allies and that Denmark expects respect for its territorial integrity.

The exchange comes amid other aggressive US foreign-policy moves cited by the White House this week, including an operation the administration says removed Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro and his wife to New York, a development President Trump later framed as a step toward exerting greater control over Venezuela and its oil resources. The broader diplomatic friction has reawakened concerns among analysts and officials that Washington could contemplate using force to secure strategic Arctic assets — a prospect the president has not ruled out.

Trump and his advisers argue Greenland’s geostrategic position in the Arctic and its deposits of minerals critical to high-tech industries make the island a national-security priority. Washington’s appointment of a special envoy to Greenland earlier this year provoked anger in Copenhagen, where officials saw it as an intrusive move.

Greenland, home to roughly 57,000 people, has enjoyed extensive self-government since 1979, while Denmark retains responsibility for defence and foreign policy. Though many Greenlanders favour eventual independence from Denmark, polling consistently shows overwhelming opposition to becoming part of the United States.

As the dispute continues, Danish and Greenlandic leaders have called for respect for sovereignty and international norms, while the White House frames the island’s strategic importance as justification for renewed US interest. The standoff underscores a fraught chapter in transatlantic relations where Arctic geopolitics, resource competition and alliance diplomacy collide.