‘We’re not some piece of ice’: Greenland PM responds to Trump’s comments – National
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen urged NATO allies to come together to defend international law on Thursday as he responded to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments about the Arctic island.
In a post on social media earlier this week, Trump criticized NATO’s reluctance to get involved in the Iran war, saying the military alliance was not where the US “needs them.”
“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED US, AND THEY WON’T BE WHEN WE NEED US AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!President DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Screenshot of Donald Trump’s Truth Social post.
@realDonaldTrump/Public Fact
Nielsen dismissed Trump’s comments that Greenland is “not working well, it’s a piece of ice.”
“We are not a piece of ice. We are 57,000 proud people, working every day as good global citizens with full respect for all our partners,” he told Reuters.
He went on to emphasize the importance of maintaining the post-war political order, including the NATO defense alliance and internationally recognized international law.
“Those things are being challenged now, and I think all parties should come together to try to save them. I hope that will happen,” he said.
This is not the first time Nielsen has responded to Trump’s comments about Greenland.
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Greenland’s leader said “enough is enough” after Trump renewed his threats to take over the territory in January.
“Threats, pressure, and talk of being in a relationship have no place between friends,” Nielsen said on Facebook on January 4. “This is not how you talk to people who have repeatedly demonstrated commitment, stability and loyalty.
“Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more plans. No more dreams about integration.”
Nielsen said Greenland is “open to discussions” and “open to negotiations.”
He also addressed the photo of Katie Miller, the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. posted on X of the field combined with the American flag, reads, “SOON.”
“First, let me say calmly and clearly, that there is no reason to panic or be insecure,” Nielsen wrote.
“The photo shared by Katie Miller from Greenland is produced wrapped in an American flag and does not change anything. Our country is not for sale and our future is not decided by social media posts,” he wrote.
“But this image is not respectful, the relationship between countries and people is based on respect and international law and not on images that ignore our situation and our rights.
There is no need to panic, but there is good reason to speak out against disrespect.”
Trump has repeatedly called for US sovereignty over Greenland, and has yet to deploy the military to control the mineral-rich island, located in the unfriendly Arctic.
Trump said in January that anything less than the Arctic island being in American hands “will not be acceptable.”
During an unrelated event at the White House on rural health care, he recounted how he had threatened European allies with drug taxes.
“I can do that for Greenland too,” Trump said. “I might impose taxes on countries if they don’t agree with Greenland, because we need Greenland to protect the country. So I can do that.”
European leaders have stressed that it is up to Denmark and Greenland alone to decide on territorial issues, and Denmark has said it is increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies.
In December 2025, Trump said that the US is not interested in Greenland for its mineral wealth.
“We have a lot of mineral deposits and oil and everything. We have more oil than any other country in the world,” Trump said. “We will have to fix everything.”
Trump first expressed his interest in Greenland in 2019 during his first term in office. He said Greenland was “damaging Denmark a lot” and costing US$700 million a year. His solution was for the United States to buy Greenland, calling it a “big real estate deal.”
– Via files from Reuters and the Associated Press
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