Tuesday January 6, 2026 | PARIS, France [Reporting from VICTORIA, BC – Posted at 9:40 am PT | Updated 10:17 am PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Today in Paris for a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing regarding security and protection for Ukraine, on the sidelines Prime Minister Mark Carney met with two key leaders as to the safety and security of Greenland which is a territory of Denmark.
- Mark Rutte – Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Mette Frederiksen – Prime Minister of Denmark & President of the Arctic Council
According to readouts from the prime minister’s office today, Carney’s discussion with Rutte included security in the face of ongoing threats, including Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine while his meeting with Frederiksen similarly was about Russia’s aggression and the imperative of achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine backed by robust security guarantees.
Prime Minister Carney emphasized Canada’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark including Greenland.
Greenland must be respected in accordance with international law, the PMO’s readout stated.
Carney affirmed Canada’s support for today’s joint statement on Greenland by Denmark and European leaders.
Shared responsibility:
“The future of Greenland is for Greenland and Denmark to determine,” the PMO readout says.
“Canada will continue to work with Denmark, Greenland and other partners in our shared responsibility for the secuirty and resilience of the Arctic,” it was stated in Prime Minister Carney’s readout today.
Canada shares a 3,000 km maritime border with the Kingdom of Denmark (Greenland). About 80% of Greenland lies above the Arctic Circle, with a population of about 56,000.
Canada is represented in Denmark at the Embassy of Canada to Denmark which is located in the Danish capital city of Copenhagen, as well as by an Honorary Consul in Nuuk, Greenland.
In Canada, Denmark maintains an embassy in Ottawa, a consultant general in Toronto, and honorary consulates in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, St. John’s, Vancouver, Iqaluit and Winnipeg.
New and concerning context:
What seems remarkable about the context of these statements about sharing protection and for Greenland is that the source of the aggression is the United States, not Russia.
US President Trump has said his country “needs Greenland” for its critical mineral resources. The US could purchase them fair and square. Instead, Trump just wants to take over the territory — somehow thinking it’s just up for grabs and that ignoring sovereign borders is acceptable.
In the wake of the US having nabbed a foreign leader using military force (Venezuelan president Marduro was taken from his home last weekend and delivered to New York for a criminal trial).
Trump has also previously talked about his intention to make Canada a 51st state of the United States.
Anand and Simon heading to Greenland:
Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will visit Greenland in early February, said Prime Minister Mark Carney today.
Anand was previously scheduled to visit Greenland back in November 2025 but that was cancelled (weather given as the reason).
Canada’s government points out that Simon is of Inuk descent (her father was British, her mother Inuit).
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