Carney Draws a Line in the Arctic, Backs Greenland and Denmark

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada fully supports Greenland’s right to determine its own future and stands alongside Denmark in defending Arctic sovereignty.

We stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark.

Carney framed the Arctic as a central front in an evolving global power struggle, emphasizing that sovereignty, security, and self-determination must be respected amid mounting external pressure.

NATO Commitment and Regional Security

Carney reiterated Canada’s “unwavering” support for NATO’s Article 5, stressing that Ottawa is working closely with NATO allies to secure the alliance’s northern and western regions.

He said safeguarding the Arctic requires not only military preparedness but also sustained political coordination and diplomacy to ensure long-term stability and prosperity in the region.

Opposition to Tariffs and Economic Pressure

The Canadian prime minister said Ottawa “strongly opposes” tariffs imposed in connection with Greenland-related disputes and called for dialogue to ensure security and economic well-being across the Arctic.

Carney warned that economic tools are increasingly being weaponized by major powers.

Great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, and supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.

“If We Are Not at the Table, We Are on the Menu”

Carney cautioned that middle powers must coordinate more closely in response to the erosion of global norms.

If great powers abandon even the pretense of rules and values for the unhindered pursuit of their power and interest, the gains from transactionalism will become harder to replicate.If we are not at the table, we are on the menu.

Trump’s Greenland Threat and Trade Escalation

US President Donald Trump has previously said the United States needs Greenland for “national security reasons” and described the island as vital to the construction of the so-called “Golden Dome” defense project.

Following talks in Washington involving the foreign ministers of the United States, Denmark, and Greenland, officials acknowledged that core disagreements remain, with US intentions toward Greenland described as “openly acquisitive.”

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has repeatedly rejected US proposals that included the transfer of sovereignty.

European Military Moves and US Tariff Threats

Denmark has recently called on its allies to increase military cooperation in the region. Several European countries announced plans to deploy small military units and officers to Greenland.

In response, Trump warned that global peace was at risk over the Greenland dispute and announced plans to impose tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland for opposing US efforts to acquire Greenland.

Trump said a 10% tariff would take effect on February 1, rising to 25% after June 1, and would remain in place until a deal was reached for the “complete and total purchase of Greenland.”

A New Global Order Taking Shape

Carney said Canada is adapting to a rapidly changing international system, noting that Ottawa has recently concluded new strategic partnerships with China and Qatar, while negotiating free trade agreements with India, ASEAN, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mercosur.

Rejecting nostalgia for the post–Cold War order, Carney concluded:

We know that the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy. We believe that from the fracture, we can build something better, stronger, and more just.