• Naaja Nathanielsen says giving up sovereignty "not on the table for now"
• Trump claims US will have "everything we want" including base ownership
• Framework deal with NATO leaves key details unclear to Greenland officials

NUUK, GREENLAND (TDR) — A senior Greenland cabinet minister warned that President Donald Trump's push to acquire U.S. military bases as sovereign American territory was a "red line" that cannot be crossed, directly contradicting the president's recent claims.

Naaja Nathanielsen, minister of business, trade, mineral resources, justice and gender equality, rejected the idea of the Arctic island surrendering any sovereignty in an interview with USA TODAY published Sunday.

"Greenland giving up sovereignty is not on the table for now," Nathanielsen said, echoing statements from Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

Trump Claims US Will Gain Base Ownership

The minister's comments directly contradict Trump's assertions that the United States will effectively take ownership of U.S. military bases in Greenland, making them sovereign American territory.

In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said the U.S. will gain sovereignty over parts of Greenland that host American military bases.

"Yeah. We'll have everything we want. We have some interesting talks going on," Trump told the Post.

One proposal under discussion would mimic the sovereignty arrangement that the United Kingdom has over its military bases on Cyprus, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Under that model, specific base areas would be treated as British territory despite being located on another nation's soil.

Framework Deal Leaves Key Questions Unanswered

The conflicting statements come after Trump announced a "framework of a future deal" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21. The announcement came after Trump had threatened eight European nations with tariffs unless they supported his bid to control Greenland.

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Following the Davos meeting, Trump abruptly canceled the threatened tariffs and pledged not to use military force against Greenland. However, Greenlandic and Danish officials say they remain unclear about what was actually agreed to.

Nathanielsen said her government only had talks with NATO after Trump and Rutte had already met at the annual event in the Swiss Alps.

"We have not been presented with anything," Nathanielsen said, noting that NATO "does not have a jurisdiction or mandate" to discuss Greenland's sovereignty.

Prime Minister Also Rejects Sovereignty Compromise

Greenland Prime Minister Nielsen held a press conference Thursday after the Davos announcement, saying he didn't know what was in the "framework" deal that Trump announced.

When asked if U.S. sovereignty over small pockets of the island for military bases might be possible, Nielsen responded firmly.

"We are ready to negotiate a better partnership and so on, but sovereignty is a red line," Nielsen said.

"Our integrity and our borders and international law is definitely, definitely a red line that we don't want anyone to cross. And I don't think that is strange at all," he added.

Denmark Also Draws Hard Line

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has repeatedly stated that Denmark cannot negotiate on sovereignty.

"We cannot negotiate on our sovereignty," Frederiksen said, adding "I have been informed that this has not been the case."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said Wednesday that Denmark is ready to address American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the kingdom's "red lines".

"Now, let's sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark," Rasmussen said. "Sovereignty is a red line."

A Danish Defense Ministry spokesperson told Military.com that Greenland's status is not negotiable and any defense cooperation must operate within Denmark's constitutional framework.

Current US Military Presence In Greenland

The United States previously had more than a dozen bases and thousands of troops in Greenland during the Cold War. Today, it has one: the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, where about 150 military personnel run a radar tracking site for homeland missile defense and space surveillance.

Under the terms of a current U.S.-Denmark defense agreement, the Pentagon is permitted, subject to consent from Greenland and Denmark, to expand its military footprint in Greenland.

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Nathanielsen said in her interview that Greenland and Denmark would "have no problem" with NATO adding a permanent mission to Greenland to boost Arctic security.

"We think that would be a good solution," she said.

Trump's Threats Cause Deep Anxiety

Nathanielsen described the situation as causing deep anxiety among Greenland's roughly 57,000 residents, telling CNBC the international attention was "quite devastating."

"People are worried, people are afraid, people are bewildered," Nathanielsen said, noting that Greenlanders have "always considered ourselves as an ally of the U.S."

"To all of a sudden find ourselves in the midst of a storm that's about acquiring us like a product or a property, it's really difficult for us," she continued.

Nathanielsen said there is concern among Greenlanders that Trump could change his tactics or his mind again.

"Our mission as politicians and members of the cabinet is to try to get things back on track and figure out through dialogue how to deal with this," she said.

Protests have taken place in Greenland's capital Nuuk, with demonstrations drawing nearly a third of the city's population opposing Trump's acquisition plans.

Denmark Accelerates Military Presence

In response to the heightened tensions, Denmark is accelerating its military cooperation with NATO allies and expanding its presence in and around Greenland, according to Military.com.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen cited Exercise Arctic Light 2025, held in September, as a model for future cooperation bringing together NATO naval vessels, air assets, and ground forces.

Can Trump's desire for sovereign control of military bases be reconciled with Greenland and Denmark's firm sovereignty red lines, or is this diplomatic crisis destined to continue?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from USA TODAY's interview with Naaja Nathanielsen, Fortune's coverage of Trump's sovereignty claims, CNBC's reporting on Prime Minister Nielsen's statements, Military.com's analysis of Denmark's military response, Yahoo News coverage of the red line statements, Al Jazeera's reporting on the framework deal, and Mediaite's coverage.

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