NATO Ally Leader Warns ‘We Need to Be Ready' for Trump to Invade

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen warned the island needs to be ready for a potential invasion by the United States amid President Donald Trump's escalated rhetoric about annexing the Danish territory.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that the U.S. acquiring Greenland is necessary for U.S. security, and the White House earlier this year declined to take the option of using the military to do so off the table. The position has fueled security concerns among Greenlanders and left allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in a difficult position.

Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon for comment via email.

Nielsen told NBC News that Greenland's government told residents to be ready for any possibility by preparing food, water and warm clothes for at least five days.

"If they do something about our infrastructure, we, of course, need to be ready,” he said.

Nielsen said he does not know whether "NATO would give assurances to fight for us against another ally" when asked whether the military has given him assurances that it would be prepared to go against the United States in the event of such an invasion. Article Five of NATO's doctrine states that an attack against one member state should be treated as an attack against all others.

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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 4:52 PM.