‘If We Have To Choose, Then It's Denmark’: Greenland Rejects Trump’s Takeover Push

Last Updated:January 13, 2026, 23:00 IST

Donald Trump has claimed Greenland is critical to US national security, alleging- without evidence- that Russian and Chinese vessels are increasingly active around the island.

US President Donald Trump (Image: AFP)

Greenland would choose to remain with Denmark rather than align with the United States if forced to decide now, the island’s prime minister said, delivering the clearest rejection yet of US President Donald Trump’s push to take control of the Arctic territory. Speaking alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the island’s position was unequivocal.

“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark," Jens-Frederik Nielsen said, adding, “One thing must be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States."

The remarks mark the strongest statement yet from a senior Greenlandic leader since Donald Trump revived his proposal to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory, arguing that the US needs to “own" Greenland to counter Russia and China in the Arctic.

Donald Trump has claimed Greenland is critical to US national security, alleging- without evidence- that Russian and Chinese vessels are increasingly active around the island. The White House has floated the idea of buying Greenland and has not ruled out the use of force, a stance that has alarmed European allies.

Denmark, a fellow NATO member, has pushed back firmly. Frederiksen warned that any attempt to seize Greenland militarily would threaten the foundations of the transatlantic alliance.

“This is completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally," Mette Frederiksen said, adding that Denmark sees “many indications that the most challenging part is ahead of us."

Greenland’s strategic location between North America and the Arctic makes it crucial for missile early-warning systems and monitoring naval activity. The US already maintains a military presence at the Pituffik Space Base in north-west Greenland, where more than 100 American personnel are stationed under long-standing agreements with Denmark. Those agreements allow the US to deploy additional forces if needed but Donald Trump has said that leasing arrangements are insufficient.

“We have to have ownership," he said last week, adding that “NATO’s got to understand that."

Jens-Frederik Nielsen acknowledged that Greenland was facing what he described as a “geopolitical crisis," but said its people rejected becoming a pawn in great-power competition. His comments come as Denmark’s NATO allies- including major European countries and Canada- publicly rallied behind Copenhagen, stressing that only Denmark and Greenland can decide their future.

News world ‘If We Have To Choose, Then It's Denmark’: Greenland Rejects Trump’s Takeover Push

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