US Ambassador says Trump's comments on Greenland were misunderstood
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Threats by US President Donald Trump to annex Greenland and use military force have been widely misinterpreted in Europe. The American leader never wanted to invade the Arctic island, stated US Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Puzder during a speech at the Brussels Economic Security Forum, Politico reports.
Coffee and cappuccino foam
According to the American diplomat, Donald Trump's controversial remarks were actually intended to draw attention to Greenland's strategic importance, and European partners should not have taken them too literally.
Puzder, a former restaurateur, compared the European reaction to a popular coffee drink.
"You get a cappuccino, you get it for the coffee, you don’t get it for the froth. So let’s focus on the coffee and not on the froth. And a lot of this is the froth," he said.
He stressed that Europeans interpreted Trump's comments as if Washington were directly threatening the island's territorial integrity, even though "the President never said we were going to invade."
Background
Throughout his second presidential term, Trump has repeatedly raised the issue of annexing Greenland and even suggested the possible use of military force, triggering concern and criticism across Europe.
Notably, Puzder's remarks came a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Greenland is part of Denmark, adding the ambiguous "for now."
What happened before
Earlier, President Donald Trump said Washington should take control of Greenland for security reasons.
At the beginning of 2026, the United States even announced tariffs on eight European countries in an effort to secure control of the island, but later backed away from this after global markets tumbled.
It later emerged that Trump's special envoy would visit the island for the first time to attend a business conference in the capital, Nuuk. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry traveled there in late May.
Journalists also revealed that the United States is holding secret talks on establishing new bases in Greenland to expand its military presence in the region. Washington reportedly aims to open three new facilities to monitor Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
Shortly afterward, Greenland announced progress in talks with the United States during a visit by a US diplomatic delegation. At the same time, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen clearly outlined the island's red lines, reiterating that Greenland is not for sale and cannot be annexed or seized.
