--- title: Is Greenland Next? Trump's New Annexation Threat Sparks Fury description: “No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” said Greenland's Prime Minister. canonical: https://time.com/7343110/trump-greenland-annex-threats-nielsen-responds/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-01-05T12:48:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:03:23.435Z article:section: Politics og:title: Greenland's Furious Response to Trump's Annexation Threat og:description: “No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” said Greenland's Prime Minister. og:url: https://time.com/7343110/trump-greenland-annex-threats-nielsen-responds/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2b41849dbefc8b9/6998cc991500fbf582aa6e43/GettyImages-2207346768.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6130 og:image:height: 3448 og:image:alt: Greenland Parties Announce Coalition Agreement Following Recent Election og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Greenland's Furious Response to Trump's Annexation Threat twitter:description: “No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” said Greenland's Prime Minister. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2b41849dbefc8b9/6998cc991500fbf582aa6e43/GettyImages-2207346768.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Enough Is Enough': Greenland's Prime Minister Issues Stark Warning as Trump Renews Annexation Threat > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: A Minute Of Your Time: Trump’s Potential Next Targets After Venezuela [Watch (HLS stream): A Minute Of Your Time: Trump’s Potential Next Targets After Venezuela](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/2RkBXQUx.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2026-01-06. “No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” said Greenland's Prime Minister._ by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Jan 5, 2026 12:48 PM UTC  Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks with journalists on March 28, 2025, in Nuuk, Greenland. Jens-Frederik Nielsen speaks with journalists on March 28, 2025, in Nuuk, Greenland. Leon Neal—Getty Images by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Jan 5, 2026 12:48 PM UTC Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has warned the United States to stop its threats of annexation against the territory. “No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation,” [he urged ](https://www.facebook.com/Jensfrederiknielsendemokraatit/posts/pfbid0ZYxKHpqMWXcf2kN99E4sutECQAZT72asdu83rzETQHoWhJ3faKApo2d2qqHXYsY5l?locale=en%5FGB)on Sunday, emphasizing that while Greenland is open to a dialogue with the U.S., it will no longer stand for “pressure” or “disrespectful posts on social media.” Nielsen’s impassioned statement comes as President Donald Trump renews his annexation threat against Greenland in the wake of the [Venezuela operation](https://time.com/7342994/trump-maduro-regime-change-maga/) which saw Nicolás Maduro captured and brought to the U.S. In comments that Nielsen labeled “utterly unacceptable,” Trump repeated his eagerness to oversee a U.S. annexation of Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. “We need Greenland from a national security situation. It’s so strategic,” the President told reporters aboard Air Force One over the weekend. “Right now Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” Trump claimed that the European Union “needs” the U.S. to “have” Greenland. (European leaders have [previously shown support](https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/2003391697808732561) for Greenland against Trump’s annexation threats.) “When the President of the United States talks about ‘we need Greenland’ and connects us with Venezuela and military intervention, it's not just wrong, it’s so disrespectful,” said Nielsen as he responded via social media. Addressing Trump’s rhetoric regarding the position of Greenland, Nielsen continued: “We are a part of NATO and we are fully aware of our country's strategic location. And we realize that our security depends on good friends and strong alliances. In this regard, a respectful and loyal relationship with the United States is very important. It's been that way for decades.”  Protesters rallied against the Trump Administration in front of the American Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Apr. 6, 2025. Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg—Getty Images Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for Greenland to become part of the U.S. since returning to the White House last year. During an interview with NBC's _Meet the Press_ in May, he [refused to rule out military force](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/%5F9iHvFLUkpE) to annex the territory. Now, as Trump doubles down on his threats, others in the MAGA circle have addressed the matter. Katie Miller, the wife of Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, alluded to the U.S. one day controlling Greenland in a social media post over the weekend. [Miller ](https://x.com/KatieMiller/status/2007541679293944266)wrote “soon” alongside an image of a map of Greenland with the U.S. flag across the island. Nielsen responded, [saying](https://www.facebook.com/Jensfrederiknielsendemokraatit/posts/pfbid035f7avJ2ocmCmNAoPHwD3tpv8PGpgWoM837wf6Gu7cQs8L66URyfCY77y4RuTdZ3wl) “our country is not for sale and our future is not determined by social media posts.” He urged Greenland natives not to panic, but insisted “there's good reason to speak up against the lack of respect.” The residents of Greenland elected Nielsen as Prime Minister in March last year. The vote was widely seen as pushback against the annexation threat as Nielsen campaigned against Trump’s wishes for a U.S. takeover. Shortly after Nielsen’s win, Vice President J.D. Vance visited U.S. troops at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” said Vance as he addressed the U.S. personnel. In August, the top U.S. diplomat in Copenhagen [was summoned](https://time.com/7312624/greenland-covert-operation-trump-denmark/) by Denmark following reports that three Americans close to the President had been compiling names of citizens in Greenland keen to join a secessionist movement. Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen confirmed to TIME that he had summoned Mark Stroh, the U.S. charge d'affaires in Copenhagen, and insisted “any attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom \[of Denmark\] will of course be unacceptable.” Tensions flared again in December when Trump appointed Louisiana’s Gov. Jeff Landry to serve as special envoy to Greenland. “Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our national security, and will strongly advance our country’s interests for the safety, security, and survival of our allies, and indeed, the world,” [Trump said](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115760829286615399) of his decision. ## Transcript Following the US's attacks on Venezuela and the arrest of its president, Nicolas Maduro. On Saturday night, President Donald Trump signaled that the move could extend beyond Venezuela. Here's what to know about Trump's potential next targets in one minute. Let's begin with Colombia. Venezuela South American neighbor Trump accused its president, Gustavo Petro, of allowing cocaine production and trafficking to flourish and suggested the US could pursue military action if those activities continued. Trump also returned to Mexico, a country he's repeatedly threatened with military action over the weekend. He doubled down on those warnings. He called for the country to dismantle the drug cartels operating within its borders, something he's accused Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum of failing to do. Beyond Latin America, Trump invoked the Venezuelan operation to revive a long standing demand the annexation of Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. He said the US absolutely needs the territory for national defense, citing the presence of Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic. Trump also pointed to Iran, which last year was the target of fierce American strikes against its nuclear enrichment sites, a day before the Venezuelan attacks. Trump warned that the US would protect protesters killed by Iranian authorities. Tehran, a close ally of Maduro's government, pushed back. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7343110/trump-greenland-annex-threats-nielsen-responds/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7343110/trump-greenland-annex-threats-nielsen-responds/"},"headline":"'Enough Is Enough': Greenland's Prime Minister Issues Stark Warning as Trump Renews Annexation Threat","datePublished":"2026-01-05T12:48:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:03:23.435Z","description":"“No more pressure. No more hints. 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