Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to defend Greenland against any form of aggression, stating that while conflict between NATO allies is unlikely, Denmark would not hesitate to act if the Kingdom were attacked.

“We consider it unlikely that one NATO country would attack another NATO country,” Poulsen said in a video statement. “The standing order, as it has always been in modern times, is that if one is attacked, one must defend the Kingdom.”

The remarks come amid renewed geopolitical tension over Greenland’s strategic importance in the Arctic, following revived U.S. interest in the territory under President Donald Trump. Although Denmark remains a close ally of the United States, recent U.S.-Danish-Greenlandic negotiations have reportedly stalled over sovereignty and security arrangements.

In response, Denmark has moved to strengthen its military posture in Greenland, including deploying additional troops and expanding coordination with European NATO partners to establish a more permanent security presence in the region. Danish officials have emphasized that these measures are defensive in nature and aimed at preserving territorial integrity.

Greenland’s location along key Arctic shipping routes and its proximity to North America make it a focal point of growing great-power competition, particularly as melting ice expands access to natural resources and military transit corridors.

Poulsen’s statement underscores Copenhagen’s position that alliance membership does not supersede national sovereignty, and that Denmark retains ultimate responsibility for the defense of Greenland as part of the Kingdom of Denmark.