The US President has repeatedly proclaimed that America needs to ‘own’ the autonomous territory which is part of Denmark, and has not ruled out using military force to secure it.
Standing up to the aggressive stance of its powerful neighbour is Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who has described the US position as a ‘fantasy’.
If people in Guernsey think Mr Nielsen’s name is familiar, it’s because it is the same Jens-Frederik Nielsen who won badminton gold in the island in 2023.
Sue Naftel was tournament referee for the badminton event in the Guernsey Island Games and has known Mr Nielsen for over 10 years.
‘He’s a good player, but he always came across as just a normal guy, although he always had an interest in politics,’ she said.
‘But when he’s been representing Greenland, he’s just acts like another member of the team. He’s represented the country at a number of games, but was not at Orkney in 2025 and I don’t think he will be in Faroes in 2027 – now he’s got bigger fish to fry.’
She said it had been a bit of a surprise when he won gold in the men’s singles in Guernsey, beating the number two seed, Guernseyman Jordan Trebert, in the final.
In that game Mr Neilsen showed his tenacity and fighting spirit by coming from a set down and saving two match points to snatch victory.
At the time of that match Mr Neilsen was already leader of Greenland’s centre-right political party Demokraatit.
He became their youngest-ever Prime Minister at the age of just 33 in March last year, just a few months after Donald Trump, 45 years his senior, became US president for a second time.
Greenland, the largest island in the world that is not a continent, is more than three times the size of Texas and roughly 27,000 times bigger than Guernsey.
However with a population around 10,000 fewer than Guernsey, it is the least densely populated territory on Earth.
Paul Le Tocq, one of Guernsey’s most successful badminton players, has regularly played against Mr Neilsen, most memorably beating him in the quarter-finals of the men’s singles in Bermuda 2013, a tournament Mr Le Tocq went on to win.
He said the two of them were still in touch and messaged regularly.
‘He was a really good player and a real advocate of Greenland Sport along with their heritage and culture,’ he said.
‘He’s very proud of their history and he’s carried that into his politics and his new job.’
He added that Mr Neilsen’s day job meant now he had to put racket and shuttlecocks to one side.
‘I’m pretty sure he’s finished playing competitively now and to be fair he probably doesn’t have the time,' he said.
‘It was hard to imagine when we were playing that he would end up as a Prime Minister and face the issues he is now.
‘He was fiercely competitive but fair on court and always able to shake hands at the end and have a drink with you.
‘I think that’s one of the things sport teaches you – to have the ability to face pressure and stand up to it.’