• ‘Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,’ Nielsen says
• Nielsen is ‘walking a tightrope with impressive pragmatism,’ says Pavel Devyatkin, analyst at Arctic Institute
• ‘As a pro-business leader, he wants American investment, but he refuses to let Greenland be treated like a prize to be acquired,’ Devyatkin says

ISTANBUL

As Washington once again signals its interest in Greenland, fresh remarks by US President Donald Trump have triggered transatlantic alarm and pushed the prime minister of the semi-autonomous Danish territory onto the international stage.

Long eyed by the US for its strategic location and vast mineral resources, Greenland re-emerged at the center of controversy after Trump said taking control of the territory would be an “absolute necessity” for economic security.

“We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor,” Trump told reporters on Friday.

The comments prompted a swift and firm response from Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who assumed office in April 2025 and has since seen his early months shaped by escalating pressure from Washington.

Greenland’s youngest prime minister

Nielsen made history last year when, at 34, he became Greenland’s youngest-ever prime minister after his center-right Democrats party secured nearly 30% of the vote in parliamentary elections.

The Democrats subsequently formed a broad coalition government representing around 75% of parliamentary seats alongside Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit and Atassut. Only Naleraq, which advocates greater cooperation with the US, was excluded and remains in opposition.

Describing themselves as pro-business, Nielsen’s Democrats say in their party program that they are a “social liberal party that is based on creating a society with the greatest possible degree of personal freedom and political self-determination.”

“Demokraatit wants us Greenlanders to take power in our own country. There is no point in endlessly copying what is done in Denmark and in other countries,” the party says.

While supporting independence from Denmark as a long-term goal, the party argues the process must be gradual and pursued on multiple tracks. Nielsen echoed that position during the election campaign, saying they do not want independence “tomorrow,” but rather prefer to build a “good foundation.”

Firm rejection of US rhetoric

Following the Jan. 3 US military action in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Trump has doubled down on his ambition to bring Greenland under US control.

“I would like to make a deal, you know the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” he said.

The remarks prompted Nielsen to respond publicly and condemn Washington’s language as “completely unacceptable.”

“The current and repeated rhetoric from the United States is completely unacceptable. When the US president talks about ‘needing Greenland’ and links us to Venezuela and military intervention, it is not just wrong. It is disrespectful,” Nielsen said on social media.

Although he has signaled openness to dialogue with Trump, Nielsen struck a resolute tone. “Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,” he said.

“We are a democratic society that makes our own decisions ... Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States, and Greenland will not be governed from Washington,” he added following Trump’s latest remarks.

Nielsen dismissed notions that a US takeover was imminent, despite Trump’s insistence that Washington would act “whether they like it or not.”

Choosing Denmark over Washington

Consistent with his gradualist approach toward independence from Copenhagen, Nielsen said Greenland would choose Denmark if forced to decide between the US and Denmark. He made the remark a day before a scheduled meeting involving Greenlandic, Danish, and US officials in Washington.

As Greenland aligns closely with Denmark in the face of US pressure, Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said last week that the territory must “take the lead” in talks with Washington.

“Greenland has been working toward statehood, which would require us to conduct our own foreign policy. But we are not there yet. Until then, we have certain laws and frameworks that we must follow,” Motzfeldt said.

According to reports, the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday and is expected to include Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

‘Walking a tightrope with impressive pragmatism’

Pavel Devyatkin, a senior associate at the Arctic Institute, said Nielsen is “walking a tightrope with impressive pragmatism.”

“As a pro-business leader, he wants American investment, but he refuses to let Greenland be treated like a prize to be acquired,” Devyatkin told Anadolu.

According to Devyatkin, Nielsen’s responses to Trump have been “solid” and “dignified,” allowing him to stand firm against US annexation while still "keep(ing) the door open for trade.”

"The US pressure is validating Nielsen's 'gradualist' approach vis-a-vis Copenhagen. Nielsen understands that without Denmark’s diplomatic support, Greenland would be totally exposed to this bullying," he further said.

Devyatkin added that he expects a “stalemate and promises” to emerge from this week’s talks, keeping discussions alive without major breakthroughs.