Greenland is “obliged” to find a solution with the United States over President Donald Trump’s desire to control the Arctic island, its leader said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said any solution to the conflict must be found within a Danish-US-Greenlandic working group set up at the start of the year.
Trump has repeatedly insisted that Washington must control the Danish autonomous territory for reasons of national security.
He backed down from threats to seize it in January, after which the working group was set up.
Even if a “master’s” desire to “secure control of Greenland… is completely disrespectful… we are obliged to find a solution”, Nielsen told reporters on the sidelines of a Greenland economic forum.
Trump’s Greenland envoy Jeff Landry is attending the conference on his first visit to the island since being appointed in December 2025.
He had not been officially invited to either Greenland or the conference, and his presence has stirred controversy on the island.
Landry attended the opening of the forum early Tuesday but then left without interacting with other delegates, according to an AFP journalist present.
On Monday, the US envoy met Greenland’s prime minister and foreign minister for talks, where the Greenlandic officials reiterated that neither the island nor its people were for sale, though they were open to collaborating with Washington.
Greenlanders “are more sceptical” towards the United States than previously, Nielsen said.
“But in general, from a business to business perspective, we have absolutely no intention of excluding American investments.”
He said Nuuk’s priority was to continue talks at the working group level.
“Over there,” in the United States, “there are very different perceptions of what this working group is compared to our side, that’s clear,” he said.
“Between our three countries, we agreed during a meeting with our former foreign minister, the Danish foreign minister, the (US) vice president and their secretary of state that we need to engage in this constructive dialogue… rather than constantly threaten each other in the media”.
France’s Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier attended the economic forum in Nuuk on Tuesday, in what he told AFP was a “show of France’s solidarity” with Greenland.
“A country like Greenland is not bought, is not conquered, and France is here to show its support,” he said.
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