Donald Trump has said he doesn’t know who the Greenland prime minister is, but this didn’t stop him promising a “big problem” for him.
On Tuesday, Greenland’s premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the Arctic territory was “facing a geopolitical crisis” amid threats from Trump’s America about taking over the region.
But he made clear that the semi-autonomous territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, would choose Denmark ahead of the US.
Speaking alongside Denmark’s prime minister, Nielsen said: “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.
“One thing must be clear to everyone. Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
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When his comments were put to Trump later in the day, the US president said he disagreed with Nielsen but ‘doesn’t know who he is.’
“I don’t know anything about him,” he said.
Despite not knowing a thing about Greenland’s leader, Trump still ominously promised that disagreeing about the future of the territory would be a “big problem” for Nielsen.
Jens-Nielsen was elected leader of Greenland at elections last year whilst being ferociously critical of the US and its president, and the Greenland people held anti-Trump protests as well.
Trump’s administration has not ruled out using military power to take Greenland, which Trump baselessly claims the US needs for its national security.
But because Greenland is a semi-autonomous Danish territory and Denmark is a NATO member, any military attack on Greenland could enact NATO’s article 5.
This states that an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against them all.
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen has already warned that US military force would spell the end of the trans-Atlantic defence alliance, and the Danish defence ministry has made clear it would defend the region in the event of any invasion.
Denmark’s major European allies, and Canada, have rallied behind the country, stating that “only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relations”.
On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland will meet at the White House with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary State Marco Rubio.