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PARIS — Prime Minister Mark Carney stood with Denmark on Tuesday, insisting the future of the Danish territory of Greenland will be decided “solely by the people” of Denmark and Greenland following fresh comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about annexing the territory.
Carney said Canada will always support Denmark’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which includes the autonomous island of Greenland.
“There’s basic principles here which (are) self-determination of nations, sovereignty, territorial integrity. And then there (are) approaches that we have as partners to what we’re trying to accomplish,” Carney said during a press conference at the Canadian Embassy in Paris on Tuesday.
“As NATO, we can provide security for all of NATO, Greenland included.”
The prime minister added that Canada and other NATO allies are working to boost Arctic security as the global threat environment changes and as Russia and China make inroads into polar waters.
Carney also noted that Canada is planning to open a consulate in Nuuk, Greenland in early February.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in a social media post Tuesday she will be there for the consulate opening, adding it marks “a concrete step in strengthening our engagement” with Greenland and Denmark.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, who is Inuk, is also expected to travel to Greenland for the opening. Simon previously served as Canada’s ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs and ambassador to Denmark.
Carney, who was in Paris to attend a Tuesday meeting of Ukrainian allies to finalize a security guarantee plan for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia, took time before that summit to meet privately with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Frederiksen thanked Carney for his support and commitment to working together as NATO allies.
“I think we are both very into securing the Arctic region, and together with other NATO allies, we can secure the region,” she said.
Trump openly mused about annexing Greenland on Sunday after the U.S. carried out a military operation in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro. In recent days, the U.S. president has also suggested he may target Cuba or Colombia.
In response, Denmark said it would summon the U.S. ambassador to demand an explanation — a formal reprimand that allows the host country to register its displeasure at the actions of a foreign state.
On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has “made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States,” calling it “vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.”
“The president and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal,” she said.
Trump appointed Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as a special envoy to Greenland in late December. Landry has said on social media that his new job is “to make Greenland a part of the U.S.”
Frederiksen has warned that a U.S. takeover would spell the end of NATO.
Trump has been talking about annexing Greenland since he took office for his second term last year, insisting it is a matter of U.S. national security. The island is also home to significant deposits of critical minerals which the U.S. does not have.
The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom also released a joint letter on Tuesday affirming their support for Greenland.
The leaders wrote that while the U.S. is “an essential partner” in NATO’s work to secure the Arctic region, that work must be done collectively “by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”
The letter noted that the U.S. has had a defence agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark since 1951.
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the letter said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2026.
— Written by David Baxter and Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa and Craig Lord in Paris, with files from The Associated Press
The Canadian Press
