Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said Denmark is facing a "fateful moment" as US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatens to take control of Greenland.
"We are at a crossroads, and this is a moment of destiny," Frederiksen said.
Frederiksen made the remarks during a panel debate at the Social Liberal Party's New Year meeting in the Danish city of Nyborg on Sunday, where she was pressed on whether Copenhagen has a concrete plan if the US were to use military force against Greenland.
She declined to discuss specific contingency measures, saying the situation must be addressed at a more fundamental level, according to Danish news broadcaster DR's report.
"What is at stake is bigger than what the eye can see, because if what we are experiencing from the American side is that one is in reality turning one's back on the Western alliance, turning one's back on our NATO cooperation by threatening an ally, something we have not experienced before, then everything stops there."
Trump has said Washington would "do something about Greenland", warning that if it does not happen "the easy way", it would happen "the hard way", and claiming that China or Russia could otherwise take control of the Arctic island.
Frederiksen also spoke of a planned meeting between the foreign ministers of the US, Denmark and Greenland, saying the goal would be to firmly present the position of the Danish realm.
"There are things we cannot compromise on," she said. "In our time, there will be moments where you can only choose between what is right and what is wrong, and this is one of them."
Greenlandic political leaders have also issued a joint statement rejecting any idea of becoming part of the US, stressing that the island's future must be decided by its own people.
"We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders," the statement said.
Security fears
Britain, meanwhile, is considering the deployment of troops to Greenland to ease the US president's security fears amid ongoing talks between European allies, according to media reports citing sources.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering the possible deployment of troops to the autonomous Danish territory as Trump insists on his bid to gain control of the strategic Arctic territory, The Independent reported on Monday.
According to Downing Street sources quoted by the paper, Starmer shares Trump's view that Russia's "growing aggression" in the High North must be deterred, and Euro-Atlantic security strengthened.
The sources said the prime minister takes the threats from Russia and China in the region "extremely seriously".
Meanwhile, The Telegraph reported on Saturday that European allies are in talks to deploy troops to counter this growing threat.
Downing Street is in talks with European allies about deploying a military force to the Danish territory as military chiefs are drawing up plans for a possible NATO mission on the island, according to the newspaper.
British officials recently met counterparts from countries including Germany and France to start the preparations.
The report suggested that the plans, which are still at an early stage, could involve UK soldiers, warships and planes being deployed to protect Greenland.
"It could be a full-blown troop deployment or a combination of time-limited exercises, intelligence sharing, capability development and rerouted defence spending," according to the sources cited.
On Friday, the leaders of Greenland's political parties reiterated their opposition to joining the US, saying: "We do not want to be Americans, we do not want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders."
Speaking on Friday, Trump said: "We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don't do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we're not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour."
Greenland, an autonomous territory, has attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources.
Trump previously described owning Greenland as an "absolute necessity" for US economic security, likening it to a "large real estate deal".
Both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.
