Greenland once again affirmed its desire to remain under Denmark’s domain, with the Arctic nation’s prime minister insisting that his country is not for sale.
In a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen cast the international debate over his country’s future as a choice between two masters.
“We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the U.S. and Denmark here and now, then we choose Denmark,” Nielsen said. “We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Greenland is mostly independent, though Denmark controls most of its defense and foreign policy. The island nation can declare full independence through a law, but political factions disagree on how to separate from Denmark.
The comments come as the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland prepare for a summit with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance on Wednesday in Washington amid aggressive statements from the U.S. regarding Greenland’s sovereignty.
“Our reason for seeking the meeting we have now been given was to move this whole discussion into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye and talk about these things,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
President Trump has long discussed the possibility that the U.S. could take control of Greenland, either through negotiations with Denmark or with military force.
The White House argues that the U.S. should take over the Arctic nation to ensure security for the U.S. and NATO.
Meanwhile, Greenland has large deposits of rare earth minerals, which are used in the production of nearly every high-tech device from smartphones to advanced missiles.
Since the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, fears that the U.S. could use military force to achieve its ambitions in the North Atlantic have accelerated.
Rhetoric from Mr. Trump and his allies has become increasingly aggressive since the operation, with Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller publicly doubting Denmark’s claims over the region and insisting that no nation would fight the U.S. over Greenland.
Greenlanders have roundly rejected calls for a U.S. takeover over the past year and have called on European allies for diplomatic support. Denmark, a NATO member, has also insisted that a unilateral U.S. takeover of Greenland would spell the end of the alliance and would be out of step with international law.
Denmark has moved to increase its military presence in Greenland, seemingly in reaction to Mr. Trump’s annexation threats. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt are expected to meet next week with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to discuss the alliance’s security strategy in the Arctic.
