US President Donald Trump has suggested that Greenland could come under Washington’s operational control before the end of his current presidential term.
Trump made this statement on 31 July in an interview with Steve Gruber, a presenter on the Real America’s Voice television channel. The journalist recalled his prediction that Greenland would come under US operational control before Trump leaves office, and asked whether the island remained of key importance for the defence of the Western Hemisphere.
“Yes, you’ll be right,” Trump replied, suggesting that the presenter “place that bet”.
The US President did not specify how Washington might gain control of the island, nor did he mention any new agreement with Denmark or the Greenlandic government. His remarks therefore remain, for the time being, a political statement rather than an announcement of an agreed plan or timetable for the transfer of the territory.
Back in July, Trump had already stated that Greenland should be under US control rather than Denmark’s. He explained his position by citing the island’s strategic location and the need to counter Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
In response, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that Greenland is not for sale and called on allies to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Greenlandic authorities also emphasise that the island’s future can only be determined by its inhabitants.
Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It governs most domestic matters independently, whilst defence and a significant part of foreign policy remain under Copenhagen’s jurisdiction.
The US’s interest stems from Greenland’s location between North America and Europe, control over Arctic air and sea routes, a missile launch warning system, and potential deposits of rare-earth and other critically important minerals. The United States already operates the Pituffik Space Station on the island, formerly the Thule Air Base.
American interest in acquiring the island predates Trump by a long way. The US Congressional Research Service notes that the issue of a possible acquisition of Greenland was raised by Washington in 1868, 1910 and 1946.
The US came closest to exercising effective control over the island during the Second World War. Following Germany’s occupation of Denmark, the Danish ambassador to Washington, Henrik Kaufmann, signed a defence agreement with the US on 9 April 1941 concerning Greenland.
The document preserved Danish sovereignty but allowed the United States to build and safeguard military installations. In the established defence zones, the US was granted exclusive jurisdiction, with the exception of matters concerning Danish citizens and the indigenous population.
The US military built airfields, radio stations, meteorological stations and other infrastructure on the island. They ensured the defence of the territory and drove out the German units that had landed there.
It can therefore be said that during the war years, the US effectively controlled Greenland’s military security, key transport facilities and strategic areas. However, there was no full political control or American sovereignty over the entire island — formally, it continued to belong to Denmark.
After the war ended, Washington was reluctant to leave the island entirely. In December 1946, US Secretary of State James Byrnes proposed to the Danish leadership that they consider a direct sale of Greenland. The US military leadership considered the purchase of the island to be the preferred option, whilst long-term rights to station bases there were seen as an alternative. Copenhagen did not accept the proposal.
In 1951, the US and Denmark concluded a new defence agreement within the framework of NATO. It cemented the American military presence and allowed for the establishment of the Thule Defence Area. The base built there subsequently became a key element of the early warning system for missile attacks and space surveillance.
Thus, the US already has extensive military capabilities in Greenland without changing its state status. The US can use the agreed defence areas, station personnel and operate strategic infrastructure. According to the Experts Club information and analysis centre, the current debate concerns not so much access for the US military as Washington’s potential acquisition of political control or sovereignty over the island.
In 2019, during his first presidential term, Trump also proposed buying Greenland. Denmark and the island’s authorities rejected this proposal at the time. Upon his return to the White House, Trump has once again made establishing control over the island one of the key priorities of his Arctic policy.
Ukrainian male and female veterans won medals at the 2026 World Medieval Combat Championships in Denmark, according to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
“From July 23 to 26, 2026, Spøttrup Castle in Denmark hosted the 2026 Medieval Combat World Championships—one of the largest international medieval combat tournaments, which annually brings together athletes from dozens of countries around the world… Ukraine was represented at the competition by the Ukrainian National Medieval Combat Team, which included male and female veterans as well as active-duty military personnel. They have already proven their dedication to Ukraine by defending it with weapons in hand, and now they are proudly representing our country on the international sports stage,” the ministry’s statement reads.Specifically, Ukrainian veterans won one first-place finish, six second-place finishes, and four third-place finishes in various competitions.
It is noted that the Ukrainian veterans’ team’s participation in the 2026 Medieval Combat World Championships is not only a sporting representation of the state but also a vivid testament to the resilience of Ukrainian veterans, their strength of spirit, and their drive for new victories.
Medieval combat is a modern international full-contact sport in which participants compete in historically accurate armor using safe replicas of medieval weapons. The World Championships include both individual and team disciplines.
According to “Serbian Economist”, the first group of prisoners from Denmark is expected to arrive in Kosovo in April 2027, said Ismail Dibran, director of the Kosovo Correctional Service, in an interview with Ekonomia Online. This is part of an agreement under which Denmark will be able to use up to 300 beds in a correctional facility in Kosovo to serve Danish sentences.
An important detail: this does not apply to Danish citizens, but primarily to foreigners convicted in Denmark who are subject to deportation after serving their sentences. Danish citizens convicted of terrorism or war crimes, as well as inmates with mental illnesses, are not to be sent to Kosovo.
The facility will operate under a joint management model: it will be run by a Danish governor and a Kosovar director.
The financial aspect of the agreement is based on a lease model. The agreement provides for an annual fee of 15 million euros once the facility is fully adapted to accommodate 300 inmates, as well as an initial payment of 5 million euros for the transition period. Public statements estimate the total value of the agreement at approximately 210 million euros over a ten-year period.
For Denmark, this is a way to relieve pressure on its overcrowded prison system and reduce the burden on prisons and staff. For Kosovo, it is a source of budget revenue, an opportunity to modernize its own correctional system, and a chance to gain access to Danish prison management practices.
At the same time, the project remains controversial. Human rights organizations have previously warned that such schemes may create a risk of “outsourcing” responsibility for detention conditions.
This practice is not entirely new in Europe. Previously, Belgium and Norway leased prison space in the Netherlands: Belgium used a prison in Tilburg from 2009 to 2016, and Norway leased space in the Netherlands from 2015 to 2018.
The difference with the Danish-Kosovo model is that it transfers the serving of part of the sentences outside the EU and effectively links criminal policy with migration policy: foreign prisoners are to be sent to Kosovo and, after serving their sentences, are not allowed to remain in Denmark. This makes the project not merely a technical solution to a shortage of prison cells, but a political signal of Copenhagen’s tougher approach toward foreign convicts.
Kosovo’s legal status remains disputed. Pristina declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. In 2010, the International Court of Justice concluded that the declaration of independence itself did not violate international law; however, this did not imply automatic recognition of Kosovo by all states.
Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence and considers it to be its autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija. In EU international documents, the term “Kosovo*” is often used with the caveat that this designation does not imply a position on its status and is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and the opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Kosovo has been recognized by the United States, most EU countries, and more than 100 UN member states; however, it is not a member of the UN due to opposition from Serbia and a number of other states. Among the major countries that do not recognize Kosovo’s independence are China, India, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, and South Africa; within the EU, they include Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, and Slovakia.
King Frederik X of Denmark, given that Social Democratic leader and long-time pro-Ukrainian Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen was unable to secure sufficient support to form a government, has entrusted this task to the current Minister of Defense and leader of the Liberal Party, Troels Lund Poulsen. This is stated in a press release from the Danish Royal Palace.
“Representatives of the Liberal Party, the Danish People’s Party, the Liberal Alliance, the Moderates, the Conservative People’s Party, the Danish Democrats, and the Civic Party—which together hold 87 seats—recommended that Liberal Party leader Troels Lund Poulsen lead the negotiations on forming a government,” reads the statement following the king’s meeting with representatives of political parties on the Royal Palace’s website, which took place on the evening of May 8.
Representatives of the Social Democratic Party, the Socialist People’s Party, the Red-Green Alliance, the Radical Left Party, and the Alternative, which together hold 84 seats, advised that incumbent Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen be tasked with leading the government formation talks once again.
Following this, the king received Frederiksen, who, in light of the parties’ statements, advised Frederik X to entrust Poulsen with leading such negotiations.
Accordingly, the king asked Poulsen to lead the negotiations on forming a government.
On May 8, Mette Frederiksen informed the king that, following the first round of negotiations, she had been unable to secure sufficient support from the parties to form a government. In the Danish parliamentary elections on March 24, Frederiksen’s Social Democrats won, but the centrist party of incumbent Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen secured the “golden share” with 14 seats.
Subsequently, Rasmussen, who serves as foreign minister in Frederiksen’s government, issued an ultimatum to her.
TK-Home Textiles, part of the Textile-Contact (TK Group) of companies, shipped goods worth over EUR160,000 to a customer in Denmark, marking the largest export shipment since the start of this year, according to TK Group owner Oleksandr Sokolovskyi.
“We’ve had our largest export shipment since the start of the year—two full truckloads of products manufactured by TK-Home Textiles were shipped to Denmark. And this is just for one client who started working with us very cautiously last year but has already increased the order volume fivefold since the start of the year compared to 2025,” Sokolovsky wrote on Facebook.
He reported that the shipment included jackets, thermal underwear, knitwear (sweaters, hats, scarves), and children’s shoes.
“And while we’ve only recently started manufacturing shoes ourselves at the factory in Chyhyryn (which we took over), we’ve been sewing all other items for a long time at our own production facilities in Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa. Cotton fabrics and insulation (siliconized synthetic down) also come from our own factories, which allows us to minimize costs and remain independent of imports with their constant logistical risks,” the post reads.
Sokolovsky emphasized that the company’s European partners primarily value geographical proximity and fast logistics; full-cycle, diversified production—from the creation of threads and fabric to the finished product; the quality of natural cotton materials; consistent quality control at every stage; as well as “fair and competitive prices.”
“The last point is very important because all customers are counting their money, and we have to withstand fierce competition from Chinese, Turkish, and other powerful manufacturers who, at the same time, operate in peaceful and stable conditions without facing our military, energy, personnel, and other risks,” he emphasized.
Sokolovsky also added that it has become more difficult for Ukrainian manufacturers to “compete” for European customers, and the company must constantly prove that even in the event of force majeure at any of the TK-Group factories, other factories will cover the orders and the products will be shipped on time.
“While in 2022–2023 European customers genuinely sympathized with us and sincerely tried to support us with orders, over the past couple of years—even when we offer competitive prices and guarantee quality—it has been very difficult to turn discussions into signed contracts. Whether they’ve ‘grown tired’ of our war, whether their insurance companies are giving them a hard time, or whether it’s just politics—who knows… But their protocols point to risks, and it’s easier for them to turn us down and shift orders somewhere in Asia,” he wrote.
In addition, the owner of “TK-Group” emphasized that we must fight for every foreign client also because demand for textile products in the domestic market has significantly decreased for obvious reasons (population decline and reduced purchasing power).
“Cheap imports, mostly contraband, have unfortunately not disappeared either,” the post notes.
“TK-Home Textiles” is a leading manufacturer of fabrics, home textiles, and children’s products in Ukraine. Its portfolio of assets includes one of the few finishing factories in Ukraine producing cotton fabrics in Chernihiv, “TK-DT Chernihiv.” Its assets also include sewing factories in Kyiv, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and Odesa; a shoe factory in Chyhyryn; a knitting facility; and a synthetic fiber production facility in Chernihiv.
As reported, the countries importing “TK DT” products include Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Georgia, France, Romania, Sweden, and Slovakia.
TK Group was founded in 1995. It currently operates as a holding company that encompasses the full range of services in the textile industry—from raw materials and yarns to finished solutions for B2B, B2G, and B2C clients. The group’s founder is Sokolovsky, chairman of the Light Industry Defense Procurement Committee at the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.
The results of a survey conducted in March 2026 by the research company Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club information and analytical center indicate a consistently positive attitude among Ukrainians toward Denmark, although a slight decline in the overall level of positive assessments has been recorded compared to August 2025. The share of respondents who view Denmark positively stands at 69.9%, down from 73.7% previously. At the same time, negative assessments remain at a minimal level—1.2% compared to 1.3% in the previous period.
In the breakdown of responses, 33.3% of Ukrainians chose the option “completely positive,” while another 36.6% selected “mostly positive.” A neutral attitude was expressed by 26.8% of respondents, indicating a certain degree of distance in the perception of the country, despite the generally high positive sentiment.
The negative segment remains marginal: 0.7% of respondents answered “mostly negative,” and only 0.5% — “completely negative.” Another 2.1% of respondents were undecided. This distribution of assessments underscores that Denmark belongs to the group of countries with the lowest level of critical perception among Ukrainians.
Comparative trends show that the decline in positive assessments occurred primarily due to an increase in neutral responses, rather than a shift into the negative segment. This indicates a gradual shift in perception from emotionally positive to more restrained or less defined.
“Ukrainians do not perceive the world in black-and-white terms and evaluate different countries quite thoughtfully. Where the level of awareness or informational presence is lower, a neutral stance is more likely to form. At the same time, countries that demonstrate consistent support maintain a high level of trust even amid certain fluctuations in indicators,” noted Oleksandr Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group.
Overall, Denmark continues to rank among the countries with the best image in Ukrainian society. A slight decline in positive perception does not alter the overall picture, which is characterized by stable trust, a low level of criticism, and the absence of significant polarization in assessments.
According to a study conducted by the Experts Club information and analytical center based on data from the State Customs Service, Denmark ranks 30th in total trade volume with Ukraine, which amounts to $671.9 million. At the same time, imports of Danish goods are more than double Ukrainian exports, resulting in a trade deficit of over $231 million.
The study was presented at the Interfax-Ukraine press center; the video can be viewed on the agency’s YouTube channel. The full version of the study can be found at this link on the Experts Club analytical center’s website.
ACTIVE GROUP, DENMARK, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, UKRAINE, URAKIN
