The US President has been threatening to seize Greenland by force over national security concerns.
The US President has been threatening to seize Greenland by force over national security concerns (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump has been brutally mocked by Danish commentators after taking a victory lap over a landmark security pact for Greenland that experts say is little more than the “status quo” and a decorative repackaging of existing rules. The US President’s grand announcement of the deal backfired spectacularly as politicians and analysts in Denmark branded the agreement a “spectacular defeat”.
Mr Trump took to Truth Social to herald a “historic” breakthrough, claiming Washington had secured “permanent control” over security on the Arctic island at “NO COST to the United States”. He boasted that the agreement fulfilled a “dream come true” and would forever bar American adversaries from making sensitive investments or establishing a military presence on the mineral-rich territory. However, the post was met with sharp mockery across Copenhagen and Nuuk, where commentators highlighted that the treaty leaves Danish sovereignty completely intact and changes almost nothing on the ground.
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Trump said the Greenland deal is a ‘dream come true’ and comes at ‘no cost’ to the US (Image: Getty)
Despite months of aggressive rhetoric – including threats to seize the island by force and demands to annex the NATO ally’s territory – Mr Trump failed to secure any territorial concessions. Torsten Jansen, a prominent US analyst for the Danish network TV2, delivered a scathing verdict on the US President’s self-proclaimed triumph.
“Even though Trump is trying to blare it out as a victory, it is, as I see it, a spectacular defeat,” he said.
Danish media was equally ruthless. One national newspaper correspondent quipped: “Shhh. Don’t tell Trump that it’s the Kingdom of Denmark that has prevailed.” Meanwhile, the newspaper Berlingske ran a headline teasing: “Don’t tell Trump that it’s the Kingdom of Denmark that has won.”
Henrik Dahl, a Danish Member of the European Parliament, shrugged off Mr Trump’s victory lap: “A wise Danish politician once said that you can achieve almost anything if you are willing to let others take the credit,” Mr Dahl said. “So let us give Donald Trump the credit for something very close to the status quo. From a Danish and Greenlandic perspective, it could hardly be much better.”
Denmark had already blocked foreign adversaries – such as a Chinese firm attempting to buy an old naval base in 2016 – long before Mr Trump’s latest push (Image: Getty)
Under an existing 1951 defence treaty, the US military already holds sweeping rights to operate bases in Greenland, including the remote Pituffik Space Base. Analysts noted that Denmark had already blocked foreign adversaries – such as a Chinese firm attempting to buy an old naval base in 2016 – long before Mr Trump’s latest push.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed the agreement, emphasising that Denmark’s ultimate “red lines” remained untouched. She confirmed that the pact explicitly “recognises the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Denmark and Greenland, upholding the local population’s fundamental right to self-determination.
French President Emmanuel Macron also offered his support to Copenhagen, adding: “I simply note that Danish sovereignty is respected, that international law is respected, and that this is what we were asking for. So it’s a good thing.”
While the deal is expected to be formally signed at the UN General Assembly in New York next week, it must still pass parliamentary approval in both Denmark and Greenland before taking effect.
BBC icon Jon Sopel breaks silence on Charles Spencer bombshell – and it’s scathing
The former BBC News star has had his say on bombshell claims made in Earl Spencer’s new book.
Jon Sopel has broken his silence (Image: Getty)
Former BBC chief political correspondent Jon Sopel has broken his silence on Earl Charles Spencer’s King Charles bombshell with a scathing comment. Over the past week, Spencer has been releasing excerpts from his new memoir Swan Song about his late sister Princess Diana, including allegations that the monarch was “giddily elated” when he talking about Diana’s death.
The palace has denied those claims and said “recollections may vary”, and Spencer has been accused of profiting off his sister’s passing. This weekend, a clip dating back to a 1998 interview with Spencer went viral on social media, in which Spencer said he would “never” dream of making money off his sister.
He said in an interview at the time: “People have lost track of this. Can you imagine anybody making a profit out of their brother or sister’s death? It’s so low it’s inconceivable. I don’t know anyone who would.
“But because the press can present Diana as a public figure, rather than as my sister, they can make it sort of a possible accusation, whereas of course it’s completely out of the question. I would never profit from Diana’s death.”
Now Sopel has shared that clip on X, tweeting: “1998: ‘I will never profit from Diana’s death’. 2026: book serialisation in Daily Mail, publication next week.” He included a shrugging emoji with his scathing response.
Charles Spencer said he would ‘never’ profit off Diana’s death (Image: Getty)
Fans were quick to respond on social media, with one writing: “Earl Spencer has made me agree with Jon Sopel. Wonders will never cease.”
Another said: “The Spencer family were never working in the interests of Diana. They’re still not.”
And a third penned: “Such a shame he’s done this now. What possible motivation does he have to create waves when none were forecast. A rather sad plea for help?”