The Greenlandic flag flies at Tivoli Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark / January 8, 2026 © EPA-EFE/Ida Marie Odgaard Denmark has drawn “red lines”.
Denmark will not cede Greenland to American authority under any conditions, not even faced with hypothetical nuclear threats originating from Washington.
This was communicated on the social media platform X by Rasmus Jarlov, a Danish Parliament member, head of the Defense Committee, and former Minister of Economic Affairs.
The politician underlined that Greenland’s self-determination is a core issue and is non-negotiable, irrespective of any outside pressures.
“I am not expressing this for display or to project strength. We are a nation of small size and cannot compete with the US. We comprehend this. However, under no circumstances will we concede,” he affirmed.
He noted that Copenhagen is still receptive to collaboration with the United States in diverse domains, including the establishment of military bases, the extraction of minerals, or other forms of strategic interaction. Nevertheless, matters of territorial jurisdiction and sovereign authority are not open to discussion.
“The inhabitants of Greenland should govern their own territory, and Denmark will persist in aiding them according to their expressed desires,” Jarlov concluded.
As Politico reports, while a sudden military takeover of the island’s capital, Nuuk, appears improbable, there exist political and diplomatic avenues through which Washington might seek to enhance its leverage over the Arctic island. According to the news outlet, US President Donald Trump could potentially seize command of Greenland through four straightforward maneuvers.