British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly backed Denmark and Greenland’s right to decide their own future, telling U.S. leaders to “keep their hands off” any notion of the United States taking control of the Arctic territory.

Greenland is a semi-autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, home to around 57,000 people, many of whom support greater self-government or eventual independence from Denmark, not a shift to U.S. sovereignty.

🔹 What Trump Has Been Saying

President Donald Trump, since returning to office, has repeated that the U.S. “needs Greenland” for national security reasons — particularly to counter Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic — and suggested the possibility of pursuing increased control or influence over the territory.

🔹 Starmer and Allied Responses

Starmer echoed Denmark’s rejection of that idea in recent interviews, stressing that only Greenland and Denmark should decide Greenland’s future and reaffirming Denmark’s status as a close European NATO ally.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has also strongly rejected any notion of annexation, calling it something that makes “absolutely no sense” and insisting the U.S. has no right to seize territory that is part of a sovereign kingdom.

🔹 Broader Regional Reactions

Political leaders in Greenland and Denmark — including Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen — have made it clear that Greenlanders want to decide their own future without foreign pressure, and they oppose becoming part of the United States.

Some European governments have backed Denmark’s position too, warning against any forced change in territory and affirming the importance of respecting sovereignty and established alliances.