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Canada’s prime minister recalls NATO Article Five amid US plans regarding Greenland

Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should join the US

Beijing, January 17. Against the backdrop of statements by US President Donald Trump on the need to incorporate Greenland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney underscored Ottawa’s commitment to Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty on collective defense.

"The future of Greenland is a decision for Greenland and for the Kingdom of Denmark," Carney said on Friday, responding to a relevant question while speaking with journalists following his meeting in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping. "We are NATO partners with Denmark, and so our full partnership stands," he added. "Our obligations on Article 5, Article 2 of NATO stand, and we stand full-square behind those," the Canadian prime minister emphasized.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should join the US. He did not rule out the use of force to resolve the issue in an interview with NBC News in early May 2025. US Vice President JD Vance said in late March of last year that the US government expects Greenland to gain independence and then peacefully join the United States. According to Vance, Washington would not resort to military force in that case.

However, on January 6, the White House, in a written statement provided to Reuters, commented on plans regarding Greenland, stressing that "of course, utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal," meaning Trump. Leavitt clarified on January 7 that the US leader is actively discussing purchasing the island with his subordinates.

Greenland is part of Denmark as an autonomous territory. In 1951, Washington and Copenhagen signed the Greenland Defense Agreement in addition to their NATO alliance obligations. Under the treaty, the US undertook to defend the island against possible aggression.