Denmark’s prime minister makes unannounced visit to Greenland amid U.S. pressure

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen arrived in Greenland on Jan. 23, 2026, for an unannounced visit as the crisis over the island’s future and alarm about American interest appeared to ease but not end. She landed around midday in Nuuk and held a private meeting with Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Ms. Frederiksen and Mr. Nielsen visited the waterfront of Nuuk, a kindergarten and other Greenlandic officials before a short evening walk through the city. The trip, described by Ms. Frederiksen as a working meeting, included a roughly hourlong private discussion and was presented as an effort to show Denmark’s support for Greenland’s roughly 57,000 residents.

The visit came amid continued pressure from President Trump, who has said the United States needs Greenland for national security, and followed talks Ms. Frederiksen had in Brussels with NATO’s secretary general. Mr. Trump suggested a conversation with Mr. Rutte had produced a breakthrough — a claim Danish officials disputed.

Western officials have said one possible compromise under discussion was U.S. ownership of small pockets of land for bases; the reporting noted there is currently one active U.S. base. Ms. Frederiksen stressed that decisions about Greenland’s future could be made only by Denmark and Greenland, saying, "We can negotiate on everything political — security, investments, economy.

Key Topics

World, Mette Frederiksen, Greenland, Jens-frederik Nielsen, Donald Trump, Nuuk