Trump still wants to control Greenland, its Prime Minister warns

Greenland's Prime Minister says the U.S. still aims to control the island despite ruling out military action, raising concerns over sovereignty and strategic influence in the Arctic.

Reuters

February 2, 2026

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks to the media as he meets with French President Emmanuel Macron and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 28, 2026.

Thomas Padilla/Reuters

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen warned on Monday that while U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out military force, Washington still fundamentally seeks to control the Arctic island.

The president intensified calls for U.S. control over Greenland at the beginning of the year, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China, which threatened to fracture the NATO alliance.

Trump has since backed away from threats of force and said he secured total U.S. access to Greenland in a NATO deal, though details remain unclear.

"The view upon Greenland and the population has not changed: Greenland is to be tied to the U.S. and governed from there," Nielsen said in a speech to parliament, speaking via a translator.

Nielsen said the U.S. continues seeking "paths to ownership and control over Greenland".

-Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, editing by Anna Ringstrom/Reuters

Trump has since backed away from threats of force and said he secured total U.S. access to Greenland in a NATO deal, though details remain unclear.

"The view upon Greenland and the population has not changed: Greenland is to be tied to the U.S. and governed from there," Nielsen said in a speech to parliament, speaking via a translator.

Nielsen said the U.S. continues seeking "paths to ownership and control over Greenland".

-Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, editing by Anna Ringstrom/Reuters