Trump's "island purchase dream" shattered? Greenland refuses to become US territory, gold market rushes to safe haven.
2026-01-14 09:48:03
Greenland’s prime minister said on Tuesday (January 13) that the country would rather remain part of Denmark than become U.S. territory, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to control the vast Arctic island.
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland will meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio later Wednesday, after Trump recently escalated his threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen that Greenland is neither for sale nor willing to join the United States.
Nielsen said, "We are facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark right now, then we choose Denmark. We are united in the Kingdom of Denmark."
Greenlandic Cabinet Minister Naya Natanielsen told reporters in London that Greenlanders do not want to be Americans and feel betrayed and confused by the rhetoric about their island.
“I think we should be able to make our own decisions about how we live in the future,” Nathanielson said. “To other people it might just be a piece of land, but to us it’s home.” His business spans commerce, energy, and mining.
Despite centuries of Danish rule over Greenland, the region has been gradually moving towards independence since 1979, a shared goal of all political parties elected to the island's parliament.
But Natalnisen said there is no rush to seek independence. She said, "We are allies of the United States, but we do not see ourselves as Americans. We would be happy to be part of the Kingdom of Denmark."
Trump has stated that Greenland is vital to U.S. security and that the U.S. must possess it.
White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including the possible use of U.S. troops and a one-time payment to Greenlanders as part of efforts to persuade them to secede from Denmark.
Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen and his Greenland counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, had requested a meeting with Rubio after Trump issued threats.
"U.S. Vice President JD Vance also wants to attend the meeting, and he will chair it, so the meeting will be held at the White House," Rasmussen told reporters in Copenhagen earlier on Tuesday.
"The reason we sought this meeting was to move the entire discussion... into the conference room, so that we could talk about these things face to face."
The Danish Prime Minister stated that it is difficult to confront the United States—a NATO ally and the country's most important ally for decades. "But all indications suggest that the toughest part is yet to come," Frederiksen told reporters.
Trump first raised the idea of taking over Greenland during his first term in 2019, despite facing opposition in Washington, including from within his own party.
Danish Defense Minister Troils Lund-Poulsen said he will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Greenland's Motzfeld in Brussels next Monday to discuss Arctic security issues.
The defense minister stated that Denmark plans to deploy a larger military force in Greenland, with other NATO countries participating in exercises and training in 2026.
The Greenland incident is not an ordinary diplomatic skirmish; behind it lies a strategic game between major powers and a crisis of trust within alliances, successfully injecting a "geopolitical risk premium" into the market. Gold, as the ultimate safe haven, will directly benefit from any escalation of this event, providing investors with a classic tool for hedging against uncertainty in the international order. During Wednesday's Asian trading session, spot gold fluctuated upwards, rising approximately 0.65% on the day, currently trading around $4615, close to its historical high. Overnight, gold prices briefly refreshed their historical high to $4634.25 per ounce.
(Spot gold daily chart, source: FX678)
At 9:47 AM Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $4,615.14 per ounce.
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland will meet with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio later Wednesday, after Trump recently escalated his threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen that Greenland is neither for sale nor willing to join the United States.
Nielsen said, "We are facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark right now, then we choose Denmark. We are united in the Kingdom of Denmark."
This is home to us.
Greenlandic Cabinet Minister Naya Natanielsen told reporters in London that Greenlanders do not want to be Americans and feel betrayed and confused by the rhetoric about their island.
“I think we should be able to make our own decisions about how we live in the future,” Nathanielson said. “To other people it might just be a piece of land, but to us it’s home.” His business spans commerce, energy, and mining.
Despite centuries of Danish rule over Greenland, the region has been gradually moving towards independence since 1979, a shared goal of all political parties elected to the island's parliament.
But Natalnisen said there is no rush to seek independence. She said, "We are allies of the United States, but we do not see ourselves as Americans. We would be happy to be part of the Kingdom of Denmark."
Trump has stated that Greenland is vital to U.S. security and that the U.S. must possess it.
White House officials have been discussing various plans to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including the possible use of U.S. troops and a one-time payment to Greenlanders as part of efforts to persuade them to secede from Denmark.
Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen and his Greenland counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, had requested a meeting with Rubio after Trump issued threats.
"U.S. Vice President JD Vance also wants to attend the meeting, and he will chair it, so the meeting will be held at the White House," Rasmussen told reporters in Copenhagen earlier on Tuesday.
"The reason we sought this meeting was to move the entire discussion... into the conference room, so that we could talk about these things face to face."
The toughest part is yet to come.
The Danish Prime Minister stated that it is difficult to confront the United States—a NATO ally and the country's most important ally for decades. "But all indications suggest that the toughest part is yet to come," Frederiksen told reporters.
Trump first raised the idea of taking over Greenland during his first term in 2019, despite facing opposition in Washington, including from within his own party.
Danish Defense Minister Troils Lund-Poulsen said he will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Greenland's Motzfeld in Brussels next Monday to discuss Arctic security issues.
The defense minister stated that Denmark plans to deploy a larger military force in Greenland, with other NATO countries participating in exercises and training in 2026.
Impact on the gold market
The Greenland incident is not an ordinary diplomatic skirmish; behind it lies a strategic game between major powers and a crisis of trust within alliances, successfully injecting a "geopolitical risk premium" into the market. Gold, as the ultimate safe haven, will directly benefit from any escalation of this event, providing investors with a classic tool for hedging against uncertainty in the international order. During Wednesday's Asian trading session, spot gold fluctuated upwards, rising approximately 0.65% on the day, currently trading around $4615, close to its historical high. Overnight, gold prices briefly refreshed their historical high to $4634.25 per ounce.
(Spot gold daily chart, source: FX678)
At 9:47 AM Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $4,615.14 per ounce.
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