Kopenhagen/Greenland, Sketsa.id – In a firm declaration that has ignited a transatlantic diplomatic spat, Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has publicly rejected the prospect of joining the United States, unequivocally stating his nation’s choice to remain with Denmark. The announcement has drawn a sharp and dismissive rebuke from US President Donald Trump.
During a joint press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday (13/1/2026) with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, PM Nielsen delivered one of his strongest statements to date on Greenland’s future. “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,” Nielsen stated.
The response from Washington was swift. President Trump, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, dismissed the Greenlandic leader’s stance with a clear warning. “Well, that’s their problem. That’s their problem. I don’t agree with him. I don’t know who he is, don’t know anything about him, but that will be a very big problem for him,” Trump was quoted as saying by Sputnik.
A Recurring Ambition Meets Firm Resistance
Trump’s irritation stems from his administration’s repeated and unambiguous ambition to acquire Greenland, citing strategic national security and defense interests for the “free world.” However, this ambition has been consistently met with firm resistance from both Copenhagen and Nuuk (Greenland’s capital), who have urged the US to respect their territorial integrity.
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, describing the pressure from a close NATO ally as “completely unacceptable.” Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, now finds itself at the center of what PM Nielsen termed its “hardest test”—a geopolitical crisis forcing a clear alignment.
The public clash underscores a significant rift within the Western alliance, pitting US expansionist strategy against the sovereign will of two allied nations. With Trump vowing that Nielsen’s decision is a “big problem,” the episode marks a serious escalation in the long-standing US interest in the strategically vital Arctic island. (*)
