Denmark calls for aid. And Europe will answer.

Remember that scene in The Lord of the Rings when Rohan answers Gondor's call for aid? That's what's happening in Europe right now, as troops deploy to Greenland as part of Denmark's Operation Arctic Endurance. Denmark has been a steadfast ally of the United States, so the Trump administration's bizarre move to acquire Greenland has shocked NATO. But, under Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's cool, calm, and collected leadership, Greenland has a fierce protector. Who will win this fight? 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome
• 0:19 Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is That Girl
• 2:10 Denmark called for aid and Europe answered
• 5:07 Greenland's critical minerals
• 8:25 Yes, this relates to Oak Flat
• 9:12 Watch "Borgen: Power and Glory"
• 9:57 Until next time!

Transcript

Welcome to The Friday Brief, a news podcast by Girl Friday. I’m Phoenix Ricks, the CEO of Girl Friday and your host. This is your brief for January 15, 2026. 

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark is a leader to watch this year. Over the past week, she has met with key NATO allies who have publicly assured her of their support for Denmark and Greenland. She also hosted a joint press briefing with the Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederick Neilsen. He said, “If we have to choose between the USA and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the EU.” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has also engaged with the people of Denmark and Greenland directly on social media. Her posts are simple, shareable messages. 

This is in direct contrast to the chaotic messaging from the United States. Most Americans, no matter how they voted, were hoping for less frivolous government spending. We wanted to see investments in our communities, lower costs of living, and a better path forward on healthcare. No one voted to spend billions of dollars to invade or acquire a neighbor to the north. Thus far, this administration has been unable to effectively explain why it believes the U.S. needs Greenland. 

I think the Trump administration has severely underestimated the power of Denmark’s diplomatic strategy. The Prime Minister has a cool, almost Obama-style approach to leadership. She’s direct and doesn’t seem easily frazzled by more boisterous opponents. It doesn’t matter how loud America’s leaders are; she’s going to continue, in a moderate tone, telling the world why Greenland is not going to become a U.S. state or territory. That calm repetition has earned Denmark new fans around the world. But she’s not just talking. She also knows when to act. She’s been telling Europeans that Donald Trump’s desire to take over Greenland is a serious threat. She asked for support, and Europeans are answering her call. It reminds me of that epic scene in The Lord of the Rings when the Beacons of Minas Tirith are lit. When Gondor called for aid, Rohan answered. Denmark called for aid, and Europe readied its troops. 

France24 reported that Germany will send troops to Greenland. If you just gasped, you might have missed the news that Germany is increasing its military spending this year. Germany is actively recruiting for its military, and Bloomberg reported that this has “rekindled” old fears in France. Those old fears are not exactly unfounded. Three days ago, Reuters reported that “Germany’s military has been rocked by reports of widespread sexual harassment and right-wing extremism in an elite paratrooper unit.” Sounds eerily familiar. But in this instance, on Greenland, Europe is standing together, despite the memories of the previous world wars with Germany. The German Defence Ministry said that deploying troops to Greenland is “ensuring security in the region.” France, which is the European Union's only nuclear power, will also send troops to Greenland. And more troops are following. Newsweek reported that the Netherlands, Sweden, and Canada are also headed to Greenland. Like Germany, Sweden also issued a statement. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson posted on the app formerly known as Twitter that the Swedish Armed Forces “are part of a group from several allied countries. Together, they will prepare for upcoming elements within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance.” 

This was quite a flurry of activity yesterday and overnight. So, what happened yesterday that escalated the situation between the U.S. and Denmark to the point of needing boots on the ice? Well, there was a critical meeting in Washington, DC, between JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and the Danish delegation. The meeting did not go well for the United States’ deeply unserious bid to take over Greenland. After the meeting, France 24 reported that Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen said it was "clear that the president has this wish of conquering Greenland.” He added that it was "absolutely not necessary." Donald Trump has told anyone who will listen that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for U.S. and Arctic security and that it has nothing to do with Greenland’s abundant critical minerals. 

But if Russia and China are the threats the Trump administration is concerned about, wouldn’t the U.S. just join forces with our existing allies to protect Greenland? That would seem logical. So, let’s take a look at what another U.S. official said publicly about Donald Trump’s goals for Greenland. CNN reported that in 2024, Trump’s former national security adviser Mike Waltz told Fox News that Trump’s Greenland campaign was “about critical minerals” and “natural resources.” Now, we’ve lived a solid decade over the past year, so I want to remind you that this is, in fact, the same Mike Waltz who was embroiled in the SignalGate scandal, in which he added a journalist to a group chat about U.S. military actions in Yemen. I don’t think he’ll be winning any James Bond awards for discretion, so it feels safe to say that his 2024 declaration on Fox News is likely still the real reason the Trump administration is desperate to acquire Greenland. As I mentioned in my very first podcast, Greenland’s melting ice is also enticing because the shipping routes are now open for more of the year. In Greenland’s case, the devastating effects of climate change have become a trade proposition and a security concern rather than a scientific alarm bell. 

Let’s take a step back and explore Greenland. It is 836,000 square miles and was a former Danish colony. Now, it's an autonomous territory of Denmark and has its own system of government. CNN says it is the least densely populated country in the world, and most of it is under ice. There are only 56, 000 residents, and they travel across the country by boat, plane, and helicopter. Most of them live on the Western coast. I definitely encourage you to look up photos. Greenland has a gorgeous landscape, and I personally love the images of Greenland’s colorful homes against that stark, Arctic coastline. Nearly 90% of Greenland’s population is of Inuit origin. Their customs and policies reflect that. For instance, no one can own land in Greenland. A Greenlandic filmmaker told CNN that the U.S.’s bizarre campaign to acquire the country “makes the view of our country as real estate ever so more provocative for us.” 

In addition to that northern shipping route I noted, Greenland is enticing to the U.S., China, and Russia, because ot its natural resources like oil, gas, and rare earth minerals. The minerals are critical for manufacturing everything from everyday electronics to military equipment. This treasure trove of minerals becomes more accessible as the ice melts. So, when you think of limited global government action on climate change, please always remember that there are people actively hoping for the ice to melt. In this case, CNN reported that mining these minerals is quite difficult due to Greenland’s terrain and its environmental regulations. That last part is the most important. You can’t just hop over to Greenland and drill through the Arctic ice because they won’t let you. In order to get those minerals, you’d have to own the land. 

Does this sound familiar to you? Because right now, you might be thinking about a similar situation in Arizona. Oak Flat, a sacred space on our public lands, has copper, and a foreign mining conglomerate wants access to it. The U.S. Congress handed over the keys to the land in 2014, but the Apache and other native tribes are still fighting to protect it in the 11th hour. Denmark doesn’t have a perfect relationship with the Indigenous community in Greenland, in the same way the U.S. doesn’t have a perfect relationship with native tribes here. But you don’t see Denmark handing over Indigenous land for mining, even though it would be profitable. Perhaps this is why polling in Greenland has shown that they have no desire to become part of the United States. 

If you want to learn more about the complex relationship between Denmark and Greenland, I highly recommend watching the show Borgen: Power and Glory on Netflix. It's a fictional political thriller, and I promise you will enjoy every single minute of it. Whether you look to fiction or reality, it seems clear that the complexity of the relationship between Denmark and Greenland does not dissolve the shared values between the nations or undermine the strength of their partnership when faced with a threat. If you have to bet on who will win this fight over Greenland, my money will always be on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. 

Thank you for listening to The Friday Brief. Thank you for supporting this podcast into a third season. Be sure to follow The Friday Brief on Instagram. Until next time, I’m Phoenix Ricks, signing off from Washington, DC. Let’s work together for a world of good.