Greenland, Jan 14 : A sharp diplomatic exchange has unfolded after Greenland’s leadership firmly rejected any move towards the United States, drawing a blunt and pointed response from US President Donald Trump.
Reacting to Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s statement that the Arctic island prefers to remain with Denmark, Trump dismissed the remarks and warned that the stance could create “a big problem”.
“Well, that is their problem. I disagree with them. I don’t know who he is. Don’t know anything about him. But that is going to be a big problem for him,” Trump told reporters, according to ANI.
The comments come amid renewed pressure from Trump, who has repeatedly spoken about taking control of Greenland, citing its strategic importance in the Arctic region.
Nielsen made Greenland’s position clear during a press conference in Copenhagen alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, stressing that the choice was unequivocal.
“We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark,” he said.
Greenland’s coalition government also issued a strong statement rejecting Washington’s interest, saying it could not be accepted under any circumstances. It underlined that Greenland’s security framework is already defined through its status as part of the Danish commonwealth and NATO.
“As part of the Danish commonwealth, Greenland is a member of NATO, and the defence of Greenland must therefore be through NATO,” the statement said.
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is a self-governing territory within Denmark and a long-standing NATO partner of the United States. Leaders in both Denmark and Greenland have consistently maintained that the island is not for sale and that its future can only be decided by its people.
Despite the firm pushback, diplomatic engagement is set to continue. According to Al Jazeera, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are scheduled to meet the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday.
Trump has repeatedly framed Greenland as a strategic necessity, warning that failure to act could allow rival powers to gain influence.
“We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” he said recently. “If we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland.”
While the US president said he preferred negotiations, he also hinted at tougher measures if talks fail, adding that Washington could pursue its objectives “the hard way” if needed.