World News for Students of English

20-01-2026 15:00

Denmark states that it has serious disagreements with the United States regarding the future of Greenland.

US President Donald Trump says the US needs full control of Greenland for national security and missile defense. Danish and Greenland leaders say this is unacceptable, but they remain open to cooperation on defense and security as allies. They say ownership of Greenland is not for discussion.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The US has had military bases there for many years, but Denmark controls the land. Trump argues Greenland is important to block Russia and China in the Arctic. Denmark has promised to increase its own military presence, but Trump says this may not be enough.

Talks between the US, Denmark, and Greenland will continue; however, public support in the US for a takeover is very low. Trump has also warned he may use trade tariffs against countries that oppose his plan. This has increased tension between allies and raised concerns about future cooperation.

Difficult words: ownership (legal control of something), self-governing territory (a place that makes many of its own rules but still belongs to a larger country), oppose (to say no or act against something), tension (a difficult or stressed situation between people or countries).

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