At a Glance
- Greenland’s resource minister calls U.S. takeover talk “unfathomable” as residents report fear and sleepless nights
- High-stakes White House meeting set for Wednesday with VP Vance, Secretary Rubio, Danish and Greenlandic ministers
- Denmark quietly aided U.S. forces last week in Atlantic sanctions action against an oil tanker
- Why it matters: A NATO ally faces mounting pressure as Trump insists “one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland”
Greenland’s government has delivered its strongest rebuke yet to President Donald Trump’s drive to claim the Arctic island, warning that families are “not sleeping” and children are “afraid” amid talk of forced annexation.
Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister for business and mineral resources, told British lawmakers Tuesday that residents are “very, very worried” and feel betrayed by escalating U.S. rhetoric. Her remarks came hours before senior U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials prepared to confront the crisis at a private White House session.
Fear on the island
Nathanielsen said the turmoil dominates daily life.
“People are not sleeping, children are afraid, and it just fills everything these days,” she said, calling the possibility of a takeover “unfathomable.”
Greenlanders, she added, have spent years fostering cooperation with Washington and now feel blindsided.
“We have no intentions of becoming American … we feel betrayed. We feel the rhetoric is offensive, but also bewildering,” Nathanielsen said.
Wednesday showdown
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, at the White House, according to three sources who requested anonymity because the meeting has not been formally announced.
The session follows weeks of Trump administration signals that military options remain on the table. On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One:
“We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security … I’d rather make a deal, but one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen repeated in Copenhagen Tuesday that the territory is “not for sale.”
Frederiksen said Denmark has faced “unacceptable pressure from a close ally” and warned “the most difficult part lies ahead.”
Silent NATO support
While politicians traded warnings, Denmark quietly supported U.S. forces last week as they intercepted an oil tanker in the Atlantic for alleged sanctions violations, a Danish official confirmed. The official, unauthorized to speak publicly, declined to describe the nature of the assistance.
The pursuit began in the Caribbean amid a U.S. blockade targeting Venezuelan oil exports. News Of Philadelphia first reported Denmark’s involvement.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte sidestepped questions about the alliance’s stance, telling the European Parliament his role is to solve internal disputes, not comment on them.
“When it comes to the protection of the High North, that is my role,” Rutte said.
Bipartisan outreach
A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation will travel to Copenhagen on Friday and Saturday hoping to project unity between Washington and Copenhagen.
Nathanielsen said Greenlanders accept the strategic importance of the island but insist change must come without force.
“We understand the need for increased monitoring in the Arctic … but we do believe that it can be done without the use of force,” she said.
She urged global leaders to remember the human stakes.
“My deepest dream or hope is that the people of Greenland will get a say no matter what,” Nathanielsen said. “For others this might be a piece of land, but for us it’s home.”
Key Takeaways
- Greenland’s leaders reject sale or annexation, citing public fear and a history of cooperation with the U.S.
- Top U.S. and Danish diplomats will confront the dispute privately Wednesday
- Denmark recently assisted a U.S. military sanctions action, underscoring continued, if strained, cooperation
- Trump says acquisition is vital for national security, floating both deal-making and force
