Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said late Tuesday that the island and its residents should be prepared for “everything,” stopping short of ruling out the possibility of U.S. military action as President Donald Trump continues to push for control of the semi-autonomous Arctic territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Speaking at a news conference, Nielsen said he views a military scenario as unlikely — but argued Greenland cannot ignore it, because “the other side” has not excluded the use of force, an apparent reference to the United States.
“It is not likely that there will be a use of military force, but it has not been ruled out yet. This leader from the other side has made it very clear that it is not ruled out. And therefore we must of course be prepared for everything,” he said, according to a Google translation of his remarks.
Nielsen said the government is preparing an information campaign for the public, including practical guidance on what individuals can do. Among the recommendations: households should have at least five days of food available.
He added that Greenland will establish an emergency response team drawing from municipal authorities, the police and Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command.
“We must emphasize that we are in a difficult, a difficult time, a stressful time, and we cannot rule out that it can escalate even [to something] worse,” Nielsen said.
Meanwhile, Denmark’s armed forces issued releases Tuesday about European and Danish military training activity in Greenland, saying Denmark was “strengthening its presence in Greenland and the North Atlantic.”
“The increased presence in Greenland is a consequence of the changed security policy situation, which places new demands on the defence of the Arctic and the North Atlantic by Denmark and NATO,” the armed forces said. The U.S. is part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Trump has minimized the prospect of significant resistance from European leaders if the U.S. moves to take over the island. “I don’t think they’re going to push back too much,” he said Tuesday in Florida. “We have to have it …They can’t protect it.”
On Saturday, Trump threatened eight European countries with higher tariffs — starting at 10% on Feb. 1 and rising to 25% on June 1 — if a deal is not reached allowing the U.S. to acquire Greenland.
In response, European states are weighing retaliatory tariffs and broader punitive economic countermeasures against the United States.
