Greenland Stays Loyal to Denmark Despite US Pressure
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Prime Minister of Greenland, has said in public that his country would choose Denmark over the United States if it had to choose between the two. His statement is the strongest rejection yet of President Donald Trump’s renewed push to take over the resource-rich Arctic territory.
Nielsen said in Copenhagen, where he was with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, that Greenland “does not want to be owned or governed by the United States.” His statement shows how tensions are rising between Washington and Copenhagen as the US continues to claim control over the strategically important island.
Source: The Business Times
US Annexation Plans Renew Arctic Tensions
President Trump has said many times that the US needs to “own Greenland” to better protect itself from Russia and China. He says this is because Greenland is between North America and the Arctic Circle. The White House has talked about buying the island, but they have not ruled out using military force.
Greenland’s location makes it very important in terms of politics. The island is an important place for early-warning radar systems and Arctic maritime monitoring, which are both important for spotting missile launches or foreign ships. Trump says that “a lease is not enough” and “NATO must understand ownership is necessary,” even though the US military can already use the Pituffik base.
Denmark Calls US Pressure Unacceptable
Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen also said at the same news conference that Washington’s actions were “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally.” She said that any US attempt to take over Greenland would break international law and break up NATO.
Frederiksen also said that “the most difficult phase is still to come,” admitting that Trump’s comments had already made relations between the US and Europe worse. Her comments are in line with what most Europeans think about the US president’s aggressive policies in the Arctic.
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Trump Responds With Warning to Greenland’s Leader
President Trump said that Greenland’s position was “a big problem for him” in response to Nielsen’s comments. This could have diplomatic consequences. His comments show that people in Washington are still angry that Denmark will not talk about ownership, even though there are defense agreements that give Denmark a lot of military rights.
There are currently more than 100 US troops at the Pituffik base, which has been there since World War II. The US Denmark defense treaty from 1951 lets Washington send more troops as needed. But Trump says that these kinds of deals do not give the US the power it needs to protect its national security interests in the Arctic.
NATO and Allies Rally Behind Denmark and Greenland
After the disagreement got worse, European allies and Canada put out joint statements saying again that “only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters concerning their relationship.” The declaration stressed that everyone is responsible for Arctic security and that the UN Charter’s principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity must be followed.
Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, said again that any decisions about Greenland must be made together by all members of the alliance. He also warned that taking military action on one’s own would hurt transatlantic unity and stability in the area.
Upcoming Diplomatic Meetings in Washington
This week, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt will be in Washington, but the diplomatic standoff is likely to continue. They are supposed to meet with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to talk about security issues and possible diplomatic solutions.
The meetings come at a very important time because tensions over US military actions in Venezuela have already made people around the world worry about Washington’s growing interventionism. Experts say that Trump’s aggressive stance could affect Arctic policy even more if it is not dealt with through diplomacy.
Greenland’s Resources Fuel Renewed Strategic Interest
The US is even more interested in Greenland because of its natural resources and strategic location. The island has a lot of rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron ore, which are all important for high-tech industries. Climate change has caused ice sheets to melt, making these materials easier to get to. This has drawn investors from both the US and China.
Scientists also think that Greenland may have large oil and gas reserves, which would make it even more valuable in the global energy market. But local leaders have made it clear that any development of resources must take into account environmental and indigenous concerns and stay within Danish and Greenlandic law.
A Defiant Stand for Independence
Prime Minister Nielsen’s comments make it clear that Greenland does not want to be annexed by the US and that it is still committed to its partnership with Denmark and NATO’s collective defense framework. He said firmly, “Greenland will always be a part of the Western alliance.”
Greenland’s position in the Arctic is important because it shows that its future will not be determined by outside forces, but by its own democratic choices and alliances based on respect, sovereignty, and mutual defense.
