Greenland angrily confronts Trump: Sovereignty is non-negotiable! Gold quietly hits new highs amid geopolitical rifts.
2026-01-23 10:46:47
At a press conference on Thursday (January 22), Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederic Nielsen said he was unaware of the contents of the "framework" agreement announced by US President Trump after meeting with NATO leaders the previous day.
Nielsen emphasized that any agreement involving Greenland must give the island and its home kingdom, Denmark, a voice.
He added that any such agreement must respect Greenland’s “red lines”—including its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The latest developments in the Greenland sovereignty dispute have primarily reinforced the safe-haven appeal of gold. Spot gold rose moderately in Asian trading on Friday, extending gains from the previous four trading days, and is currently trading around $4,955 per ounce. It briefly hit a record high of $4,967.13 per ounce in the morning session, representing a daily gain of approximately 0.4%.
"We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the European Union. We choose NATO. This is not just about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, but about the world order for all of us," Nielsen told the media in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
These remarks echoed earlier statements by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who insisted that Greenland's sovereignty was not open to negotiation.
Nielsen's remarks came a day after President Trump abruptly announced a "framework for a future agreement" with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. This followed weeks of pressure from Trump on Europe regarding the U.S.'s proposed acquisition of Greenland.
The statement was released after a closed-door meeting in Davos, Switzerland, but did not provide specific details. In an interview, Trump referred to it as a "deal concept" and said he would "detail" it at a later date .
But this agreement is clearly enough for Trump to cancel the tariffs he was about to impose on eight European countries, which were punitive measures he had previously imposed on eight countries for standing up for Greenland during the president’s military intimidation of Greenland.
Trump revealed that the framework involves U.S. mining rights and the Trump administration's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported on Wednesday that some NATO officials have privately discussed a possible compromise in which the United States would gain sovereignty over a small military base area in Greenland.
Nielsen immediately rejected the proposal on Thursday, repeatedly emphasizing that he was unaware of the specifics of the Trump-Rutte framework.
He stated, "I am not clear about the specific terms of the agreement, but I do know that we have established a high-level working group and are seeking a solution acceptable to both sides."
Nielsen emphasized: "We have some red lines that cannot be crossed. We must respect our territorial integrity and abide by international law and the principle of sovereignty."
He added at a subsequent press conference: "Our sovereignty, borders, and international law are absolutely red lines that cannot be crossed, and I think that is completely reasonable."
Nielsen revealed that these red lines, which were recently conveyed to Rutte by Danish and Greenlandic officials, have now been "transmitted" to Trump's side.
However, he stated that no agreement has yet been reached regarding mineral resources or any other matters .
He added, "Greenland is willing to negotiate with the United States on economic and other issues, but this must be based on mutual respect." Nielsen also directly criticized the Trump administration's provocative actions towards Greenland, including the recent escalation of tensions.
He stated, "There is no doubt that the rhetoric we have heard over the past year has been unacceptable," and added, "It is difficult to maintain respectful dialogue when the people of Greenland hear threats of occupation and seizure every night."
"Imagine how it feels to be a Greenlander, a peace-loving resident of this land, every day to see in the media that someone is trying to take away your freedom."
This reinforces the need for "de-risking" allocations: investors are increasing the strategic weight of gold in their portfolios in response to increasingly unpredictable alliances and U.S. strategic preferences.
It provides a continuous "narrative support": when the market lacks other hot topics, such events constantly remind investors of the deteriorating global political environment, suppressing deep corrections in gold and causing its price bottom to rise continuously.
It points to a longer-term resource competition: the game surrounding Greenland's mineral resources suggests that resource nationalism and great power resource competition may intensify in the future, further solidifying the long-term bullish logic for gold.
In conclusion, the Greenland sovereignty dispute is another typical example of the current era of "normalized geopolitical uncertainty." By eroding the credibility of the international system and the stability of alliances, it provides sustained and deep structural support for gold prices, making them more likely to choose to break upwards during periods of high-level fluctuations.
(Spot gold 4-hour chart, source: EasyForex)
At 10:46 Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $4,958.60 per ounce.
Nielsen emphasized that any agreement involving Greenland must give the island and its home kingdom, Denmark, a voice.
He added that any such agreement must respect Greenland’s “red lines”—including its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The latest developments in the Greenland sovereignty dispute have primarily reinforced the safe-haven appeal of gold. Spot gold rose moderately in Asian trading on Friday, extending gains from the previous four trading days, and is currently trading around $4,955 per ounce. It briefly hit a record high of $4,967.13 per ounce in the morning session, representing a daily gain of approximately 0.4%.
Sovereignty is not negotiable: Greenland draws clear red lines
"We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the European Union. We choose NATO. This is not just about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, but about the world order for all of us," Nielsen told the media in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
These remarks echoed earlier statements by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who insisted that Greenland's sovereignty was not open to negotiation.
Nielsen's remarks came a day after President Trump abruptly announced a "framework for a future agreement" with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. This followed weeks of pressure from Trump on Europe regarding the U.S.'s proposed acquisition of Greenland.
Trump's vague trade proposals and tariff leverage
The statement was released after a closed-door meeting in Davos, Switzerland, but did not provide specific details. In an interview, Trump referred to it as a "deal concept" and said he would "detail" it at a later date .
But this agreement is clearly enough for Trump to cancel the tariffs he was about to impose on eight European countries, which were punitive measures he had previously imposed on eight countries for standing up for Greenland during the president’s military intimidation of Greenland.
Trump revealed that the framework involves U.S. mining rights and the Trump administration's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system.
Greenland firmly rejects the sovereignty cession proposal.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported on Wednesday that some NATO officials have privately discussed a possible compromise in which the United States would gain sovereignty over a small military base area in Greenland.
Nielsen immediately rejected the proposal on Thursday, repeatedly emphasizing that he was unaware of the specifics of the Trump-Rutte framework.
He stated, "I am not clear about the specific terms of the agreement, but I do know that we have established a high-level working group and are seeking a solution acceptable to both sides."
Nielsen emphasized: "We have some red lines that cannot be crossed. We must respect our territorial integrity and abide by international law and the principle of sovereignty."
He added at a subsequent press conference: "Our sovereignty, borders, and international law are absolutely red lines that cannot be crossed, and I think that is completely reasonable."
The bottom line has been communicated, but an actual agreement has not yet been reached.
Nielsen revealed that these red lines, which were recently conveyed to Rutte by Danish and Greenlandic officials, have now been "transmitted" to Trump's side.
However, he stated that no agreement has yet been reached regarding mineral resources or any other matters .
He added, "Greenland is willing to negotiate with the United States on economic and other issues, but this must be based on mutual respect." Nielsen also directly criticized the Trump administration's provocative actions towards Greenland, including the recent escalation of tensions.
He stated, "There is no doubt that the rhetoric we have heard over the past year has been unacceptable," and added, "It is difficult to maintain respectful dialogue when the people of Greenland hear threats of occupation and seizure every night."
"Imagine how it feels to be a Greenlander, a peace-loving resident of this land, every day to see in the media that someone is trying to take away your freedom."
Analysis of the impact of the Greenland crisis on the gold market
This reinforces the need for "de-risking" allocations: investors are increasing the strategic weight of gold in their portfolios in response to increasingly unpredictable alliances and U.S. strategic preferences.
It provides a continuous "narrative support": when the market lacks other hot topics, such events constantly remind investors of the deteriorating global political environment, suppressing deep corrections in gold and causing its price bottom to rise continuously.
It points to a longer-term resource competition: the game surrounding Greenland's mineral resources suggests that resource nationalism and great power resource competition may intensify in the future, further solidifying the long-term bullish logic for gold.
In conclusion, the Greenland sovereignty dispute is another typical example of the current era of "normalized geopolitical uncertainty." By eroding the credibility of the international system and the stability of alliances, it provides sustained and deep structural support for gold prices, making them more likely to choose to break upwards during periods of high-level fluctuations.
(Spot gold 4-hour chart, source: EasyForex)
At 10:46 Beijing time, spot gold was trading at $4,958.60 per ounce.
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