‘If there were to be an escalation...’: Greenland PM urges to prepare for a possible invasion amid Trump’s quest to takeover island

Amid the chaos around US President Donald Trump's quest to take over Greenland, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that the region should be prepared for a possible invasion. “It’s not likely there will be a military conflict, but it can’t be ruled out," the prime minister said. "That's why we must be ready for all possibilities, but let's emphasise this: Greenland is part of NATO and, if there were to be an escalation, it would also have consequences for the rest of the world," Nielsen added.

Will Trump use force to seize Greenland?

Trump, in a telephone interview with NBC News, declined to comment on the question regarding his administration's use of force to acquire Greenland. “No comment,” he told the broadcaster. The American president said that he would "100 per cent" push ahead with his plans to hit European nations with tariffs if he doesn’t get Greenland.

“Europe ought to focus on the war with Russia and Ukraine, because, frankly, you see what that’s gotten, them. That’s what Europe should focus on – not Greenland," Trump said.

Meanwhile, the Danish foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said, “It is important that all of us who believe in international law speak out to show Trump that you can’t go down this road any further."

He also said that he thought Denmark, Greenland, and the US agreed to “move this from social media, Truth Social and other arenas, into a meeting room where we could discuss” possible solutions, building on their relationship. “That’s what we agreed,” he said, adding, “we are pragmatic, cold-blooded Scandinavian people.”

“For second I thought that we managed maybe not to solve the problem, but to find a path forward. It was disrupted by the statement from the president,” he said.

‘I won’t use force, we don’t need it for rare earths’

Trump, during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday (Jan 21), said that he is not planning to use force to take over Greenland. His statement came after the Danish Prime Minister hinted at a possible invasion of the island nation. The American president said that he has immense respect for Greenland and Denmark, but “it’s hard to call Greenland a land, it’s a pice of ice.” Moreover, the American president said that the US saved Greenland and gave it back to Denmark after World War 2 and now Denmark is being “ungrateful”.

“We don’t need Greenland for rare earths, we need it for national and international security,” Trump said. He also said, “We are trying to buy Greenland for two centuries...it’s a part of North America. All we want from Denmark is this land where we will build the golden Dome.”