EUROPEAN leaders told the US government today that “Greenland belongs to its people,” and any attempts to take the Danish territory from them would bring an end to Nato.

After boasting about the raid on Venezuela and kidnapping its president, President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that the US needs Greenland for “national security” reasons because, he claimed, the Danish territory was “covered with Russian and Chinese ships.”

The leaders of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Britain issued a joint statement today saying that they and many of their allies have increased their military presence and investments in the Arctic to “keep it safe and to deter adversaries.”

“Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority,” the statement reads, “and European Allies are stepping up.”

Security of the Arctic must be achieved between Nato allies, the leaders say, before attempting to remind the US government “the Kingdom of Denmark — including Greenland — is part of Nato.”

The statement ends: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”

On Monday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that Mr Trump’s comments about Greenland “should be taken seriously” and that if the US were to attack another Nato ally, “then everything stops.”

“That is, including our Nato and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the World War II.”

Meanwhile, the White House’s hawkish deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told reporters on Monday that “might makes right,” and dismissed concerns about Danish sovereignty over Greenland.

“You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else,” he said.

“But we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power.”