“We are in a difficult and stressful time, and we cannot rule out that conditions may worsen,” Nielsen told reporters. He did not specify a timetable for the new preparedness measures, but said they would be implemented as quickly as possible.
The call for readiness follows renewed statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland. Earlier on Tuesday in Florida, Trump declined to outline specific steps he might take to accomplish that objective, telling reporters only that the public would “find out” how far he was willing to go.
Public resistance to any transfer of sovereignty has grown in both Denmark and Greenland. On Saturday, demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen carrying banners reading “Hands off Greenland” and “Greenland for Greenlanders.” The protest underscored local concern about Washington’s intentions and the potential for a forced change in control.
Danish defense officials also moved to highlight their activity in the region. On Tuesday, Denmark’s armed forces announced additional European and Danish military training exercises in Greenland. The statement said Copenhagen is “strengthening its presence in Greenland and the North Atlantic” because an evolving security environment “places new demands on the defense of the Arctic and the North Atlantic by Denmark and NATO.” The United States is a founding member of the trans-Atlantic alliance, which outlines collective defense obligations among its 31 member states. A summary of NATO’s Arctic policy can be found on the organization’s official website, nato.int.
Despite Denmark’s efforts, Trump has suggested that European governments would offer limited resistance to his plans. During remarks in Florida, he said he did not believe European leaders “are going to push back too much,” later adding that current custodians “can’t protect it.”
Tension escalated further over the weekend when Washington threatened eight unnamed European countries with higher tariffs if negotiations over Greenland did not progress. Under the proposed measures, duties on select imports would rise to 10 percent on February 1 and increase to 25 percent on June 1 if no agreement were reached. In response, several European capitals are weighing retaliatory tariffs and broader economic counter-measures aimed at U.S. exports.
The exchange underscores the strategic value Washington assigns to Greenland, whose location in the high Arctic offers proximity to polar shipping lanes and natural resources. While Nielsen acknowledged the island’s geopolitical importance, he reiterated that any change to its status must respect the wishes of Greenland’s population and the Kingdom of Denmark’s constitutional framework.
Greenland is a self-governing part of the Danish realm, controlling most domestic affairs while Copenhagen retains authority over foreign policy and defense. Any transfer of sovereignty would require approval from both Greenlandic and Danish governments, a prospect that currently appears remote.
The next steps from either side remain uncertain. Nielsen’s administration intends to finalize detailed preparedness guidelines in the coming days, while Denmark’s defense ministry has signaled continued military exercises in and around the territory. Meanwhile, U.S. officials have provided no public timeline for potential actions, leaving local authorities to plan for a wide range of contingencies.
Crédito da imagem: Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg | NurPhoto | Getty Images
