Greenland’s newly elected Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said he will not hand over the territory to the United States in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments about annexing the vast Arctic region.
“President Trump says that the United States is getting Greenland. Let me be clear: The United States won’t get that. We do not belong to anyone else. We determine our own future,” Nielsen stated in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Trump had told NBC News on Saturday that he had “absolutely” discussed the possibility of annexing Greenland. “We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100 percent,” he said, doubling down on his claim.
The tension between the two nations escalated after US Vice President JD Vance visited a military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of failing to adequately protect the strategically located island.
Vance claimed the US could offer better security for the region, which holds significant geopolitical value.
In response, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed frustration with the US administration’s “tone” during their criticism.
“We do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies,” Rasmussen stated in a video on social media, reaffirming Denmark’s commitment to Arctic security and its willingness to cooperate with the US.
Despite this diplomatic row, Trump remained defiant, telling NBC News, “I never take military force off the table” regarding Greenland.
Rasmussen, however, insisted that Denmark and the US are still close allies, despite the ongoing tensions over the issue.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, remains a key point of contention as Trump pushes for greater US influence in the region for national security reasons.
