After the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for a “united” Europe on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump revived his push to annex Greenland as part of the U.S.
In an English-language post on social media, Tusk wrote that “No-one will take seriously a weak and divided Europe: neither enemy nor ally. It is already clear now. We must finally believe in our own strength, we must continue to arm ourselves, we must stay united like never before. One for all, and all for one. Otherwise, we are finished.”
No-one will take seriously a weak and divided Europe: neither enemy nor ally. It is already clear now. We must finally believe in our own strength, we must continue to arm ourselves, we must stay united like never before. One for all, and all for one. Otherwise, we are finished.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) January 5, 2026
Poland, a NATO frontline state on the alliance’s eastern front, has been one of Europe’s most vocal advocates of increased defense spending and stronger deterrence. Tusk’s call to “arm ourselves” aligns with Warsaw’s push for more robust European readiness.
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has been the subject of renewed U.S. interest since Donald Trump took office in January. Since the start of his second term, Trump has explicitly stated his goal of annexing the island and making it U.S. territory. However, his interest in acquiring Greenland dates back to 2019, during his first term, when he first raised the idea of purchasing it.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has publicly pushed back, saying Greenland is not for sale and urging Washington to stop issuing threats toward a long-time ally. Greenland’s prime minister has also rejected the idea of annexation.
Tusk’s remarks came days after the U.S. military operation in the Venezuelan capital, which involved missile strikes on numerous sites in Caracas and the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both are in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and plead not guilty, with neither seeking bail at the hearing.
Shortly after Trump’s re-election, he announced on Truth Social that PayPal co-founder Ken Howery was to be his ambassador to Denmark. In the post, he also wrote, “the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Since then, Trump has kept a potential annexation in the public consciousness by consistently talking about it, even mentioning before his inauguration that he could not rule out using coercion to gain control of Greenland.
Public opinion in Greenland, where roughly 57,000 people live, shows little enthusiasm for becoming part of the U.S. A January 2025 poll found that a strong majority supports eventual independence from Denmark, but does not favor U.S. annexation.
The autonomous territory is rich in rare minerals and positioned at a strategic point between North America and Europe. The U.S. already maintains a military presence there, including the Pituffik (Thule) Air Base, which is integral to its missile defense network.
European leaders have largely aligned themselves with Denmark and Greenland in public statements as officials weigh how to manage relations with Washington at a time when European security still depends heavily on NATO’s U.S. capabilities.
