Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen delivered a decisive rejection on, shutting down President Trump’s calls for the island territory to join the United States by declaring that his people “choose Denmark” and “choose NATO,” as per The Hill. This is a massive geopolitical statement, and it’s clear Greenland isn’t interested in changing its allegiance anytime soon.
Nielsen made his position perfectly clear during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen. Nielsen stated that if they have to choose right now between the United States and Denmark, the choice is unequivocally Denmark. He added that they choose NATO, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the European Union.
Nielsen emphasized that Greenland does not want to be governed by or become part of the United States. He noted that Greenland is currently facing a “geopolitical crisis” due to the mounting pressure. Prime Minister Frederiksen mirrored the sentiment, adding that dealing with “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally” hasn’t been easy.
The two leaders confirmed that their governments are staying united, a stance that will be tested immediately
Their press conference came just ahead of a crucial visit to the region by U.S. Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen had initially requested a meeting with Secretary Rubio in response to President Trump’s increasingly intense rhetoric about acquiring the territory.
However, Vice President Vance decided to participate, and now he will host the meeting, which will reportedly be held at the White House. Frederiksen stressed the unity of their position going into those talks, promising, “We come together, we stay together, and we leave together.”
The White House, meanwhile, has been arguing that the U.S. acquisition of Greenland is a necessary defensive move. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that if the U.S. doesn’t acquire Greenland, the territory will “eventually be acquired or even perhaps hostilely taken over by either China or Russia.”
This whole situation takes a significantly darker turn when you look at the backup plans being floated. Last week, it was revealed that President Trump has been weighing using the U.S. military as a potential option to acquire Greenland. Unsurprisingly, this idea drew sharp criticism from Capitol Hill. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned that such an action “would be the end of NATO.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) tried to calm the situation, stating that he doesn’t expect the U.S. to take the island by force. Johnson noted that the legislative branch is clear: “There’s no declaration of war pending for Greenland. It’s just not a thing. I don’t anticipate any boots on the ground anywhere, anytime soon.”
Published: Jan 14, 2026 11:30 am