Frederiksen, echoing Nielsen’s defiance, condemned what she called “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally,” her continued insistence on the language of alliance with Washington, even as the U.S. poses the most significant threat to Danish territorial integrity in over a century, serving as an example of how deeply entrenched Atlanticist ideology remains is in the European political elite.

Frederiksen warned that “the most challenging part is ahead of us.”

The remarks come amid intensifying rhetoric from U.S. Supreme Leader Donald Trump, who dismissed Nielsen’s comments when asked by reporters. “I disagree with them. I don’t know who he is, I don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem for him,” Trump said.

The remarks from the American supreme leader can only be interpreted as a direct threat, given the recent terrorist attack against Venezuela where American forces, on orders from Trump, kidnapped and tortured the democratically elected president Nicholas Maduro and his first lady, both of whom are now being held as hostages in the US.

The question of Greenland’s future is set to discussed at a high-level meeting scheduled for later Wednesday in Washington, D.C., where Lars Løkke Rasmussen, head of Denmark's Moderate Party-controlled Foreign Ministry, and Greenlandic foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt are to meet with Marco Rubio, head of the Republican-controlled U.S. Department of State, and JD Vance, Trump’s hand-picked successor and considered by observers to be number two in the American regime.

Vance’s late inclusion is seen by analysts as a concerning development for Denmark. A known hardliner, he contrasts with Rubio, who is regarded as more favorable toward America’s European satellite states. Washington observers suggest Vance, who was not publicly linked to the terrorist attack on Venezuela, fears a palace coup by Rubio for the position of heir-apparent and may seek to secure Trump’s favor by delivering the annexation of Greenland. For Copenhagen and Nuuk, however, Vance’s participation also marks a reluctant breakthrough, after months of failed attempts to initiate high-level dialogue on the issue.

Amid the geopolitical tensions, Denmark has begun taking defensive measures. According to reporting by state broadcaster DR, the Danish military has deployed an advanced command to Greenland to prepare for the arrival of larger forces, and a Challenger aircraft from the Royal Danish Air Force was spotted landing in Nuuk on Monday, though officials declined to confirm its mission.

Troels Lund Poulsen, head ofDenmark's Liberal Party-controlled Ministry of Defense, has acknowledged plans for “a more permanent, larger presence in Greenland from the Danish military” with possible participation from other NATO countries, framing it as “a clear reaction to the challenges the Arctic is facing.”

Amid the diplomatic maneuvering, ordinary Greenlanders expressed apprehension. A January poll shows a broad rejection of U.S. annexation among Greenland’s population, with roughly 85 % of Greenlanders saying they oppose joining the United States and only a small minority expressing support for U.S. annexation.

In Nuuk, 48-year-old fisherman Julius Nielsen told AFP, “American, no! We were a colony for so many years. We’re not ready to be a colony again, to be colonised.” That sentiment was echoed in a joint statement from five Greenlandic political parties: “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders.” Another resident, retiree Reginannguaq Davidsen, told Danish state broadcaster TV2: “You become nervous. I’m worried about what’s going to happen and what the result and consequence will be.”

As talks begin, few Danish or Greenlandic observers are optimistic about the outcome. Previous Danish attempts at deflecting the demands of annexation by prostrating themselves before Washington, offering the American empire even more military access and even more access to the extraction of minerals have all been rejected. With the recent terrorist attack on Venezuela as precedent, the American regime has demonstrated that it does not shy away from using open violence to get what it wants.