Greenland has chosen Denmark over the United States, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Tuesday.

"We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark," Nielsen said.

He emphatically rejected the idea that Greenland could come under Washington's control.

"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," he said.

US President Donald Trump had been promoting the idea of buying or annexing the semi-autonomous Danish territory for years, and further stoked tensions in recent weeks by saying the United States would take it "one way or the other."

Nielsen made the comments at a joint news conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.

Frederiksen slammed what she called "unacceptable pressure" from Denmark's closest ally, the US, over Greenland.

She warned that "there are many indications that the most challenging part is ahead of us."

Denmark open to continued Arctic cooperation with US

But Frederiksen also stressed that Copenhagen wished to continue working with Washington on Arctic security questions.

"Of course, we want to strengthen cooperation on security in the Arctic with the United States, with NATO, with Europe and with the Arctic states in NATO," she said.

The comments come a day after the secretary-general of NATO, Mark Rutte, indicated the military alliance would work to bolster security in the Arctic region.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States needs Greenland "for national security," while also claiming that the island is "surrounded" by Russian and Chinese ships.

The US president has not ruled out the use of military force to take over the island.

The United States already operates a military base in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base, although it had dozens more during the Cold War.

Denmark and Greenland's foreign ministers are to meet with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

Greenland government cautious on independence

Greenland has the right to seek independence under international law, and in a 2025 poll 56% of its population voiced support for full secession from Denmark.

Support for joining the United States was much lower, sitting at just 6%.

Nielsen's Demokraatit party favors a gradual approach toward Greenlandic independence, although it is in coalition with three other parties with varying vews on whether to secede from Denmark and at what speed.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse