Greenland’s prime minister says if his people were asked to make a choice “here and now”, they would choose Denmark over the United States.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen’s remarks at a joint press conference with the Danish prime minister were the strongest comments made by a representative of the semi-autonomous Danish territory since U.S. President Donald Trump renewed plans to annex Denmark.
President Trump says the US should ‘own’ Greenland to defend against Russia and China. The White House has proposed purchasing the island but has not ruled out using force to annex it.
Denmark is a member of NATO and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that military power could spell the end of the transatlantic defense alliance.
When asked what he thought of Nielsen’s comments today, President Trump said, “That’s their problem. I don’t agree with him… That’s going to be a big problem for him.”
Despite being the most sparsely populated region, Greenland’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it ideal for establishing early warning systems in case of missile attacks and for monitoring ships in the area.
Trump has repeatedly said Greenland is vital to U.S. national security and claimed without evidence that it is “covered all over with Russian and Chinese ships.”
The United States already has more than 100 soldiers permanently stationed at the Pitupik base in northwestern Greenland. This facility has been operated by the United States since World War II.
Under an existing agreement with Denmark, the United States has the authority to send as many troops as it wants to Greenland.
But Trump told reporters in Washington last week that the lease agreement alone was not enough. The United States “must take ownership” and “NATO must understand that”.
At a news conference in the Danish capital Copenhagen, Frederiksen did not mince words, denouncing “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest allies.”
“There are many signs that the hardest part lies ahead,” she warned.
Greenland’s prime minister said the island was “facing a geopolitical crisis” but the island’s position was clear.
“If we had to choose here and now between the United States and Denmark, we would choose Denmark,” he said.
“One thing should be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be ruled by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
The Copenhagen press conference came a day before Danish Foreign Minister Lars Roque Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motsfeld traveled to the United States to meet Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Denmark’s NATO allies – Canada as well as major European countries – have come together to support this, with a statement this week saying “only Denmark and Greenland can decide on issues concerning their relationship.”
They emphasized that they are as committed as the United States to Arctic security, saying this must be achieved “jointly” by allies, including the United States.
They also called for “upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.”
Concerns about the future of the territory resurfaced after President Trump used military force to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.
President Trump offered to purchase the island during his first term as president in 2019, but received a response that it was not for sale.
In recent years, as glaciers have melted due to climate change, interest in Greenland’s natural resources such as rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron has increased. Scientists believe there may be significant oil and gas reserves here.
