Greenland Officials Say Sovereignty Is Not Negotiable

3 hours ago 1

January 27, 2026 | 03:24 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Authorities in Denmark and Greenland have warned the United States against any attempt to take control of Greenland, stressing the need to respect the island’s territorial integrity.

Greenland’s Minister for Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice, and Gender Equality, Naaja Nathanielsen, said that “giving up sovereignty is not on the table for now,” as quoted by USA TODAY.

Nathanielsen also said her government had not received any formal communication following a turbulent diplomatic week in which Trump withdrew earlier threats to forcibly take control of the Arctic island while continuing negotiations.

These developments followed what Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described as a “framework deal” on Greenland, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21.

However, several days later, senior officials in Greenland and Europe said they remained unclear about the contents of the agreement, as no details had been disclosed.

After the Davos meeting, Trump withdrew tariffs he had previously threatened to impose on eight European countries opposing U.S. control over Greenland. He also said he would not use force to achieve his objectives.

Nathanielsen said Greenland’s government had only recently begun discussions with NATO after the Davos meeting, while stressing that the alliance “has no jurisdiction or mandate” to discuss Greenland’s sovereignty.

Her stance aligns with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said on January 22 that Denmark was open to talks with the United States on most Greenland-related issues, but added, “we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty.”

Despite these assurances, Trump has continued to hint at potential changes to Greenland’s status. In an interview with The New York Post on January 23, he suggested that U.S. control over land where American military bases are located could be expected.

“We’ll have everything we want,” Trump said.

Read: Trump Preparing to Deport Iranian Migrants Amid Deadly Unrest in Iran

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