Denmark’s prime minister has issued a stark rebuke to Donald Trump’s renewed aspirations to take control of Greenland, insisting the Arctic island is “not for sale” and urging the US president to respect national sovereignty, even as she called for deeper military co-operation between the allies.
Arctic co-operation — but no negotiation
Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, has once again made it clear that Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, is not for sale, despite persistent overtures from US President Donald Trump.
“Of course, Greenland is not for sale. We have stated that very clearly from the very beginning,” the Danish premier said while attending the NATO summit in Ankara on Tuesday. “Greenland has made it abundantly clear that it does not wish to be part of the United States,” Frederiksen stressed, adding that she expects the Scandinavian country’s sovereignty to be respected.
Frederiksen noted that Copenhagen enjoys strong military co-operation with Washington in the Arctic and is prepared to expand it — working groups have already been established for this purpose. However, she reiterated, Greenland is not on the market.
The prime minister also emphasised that Denmark largely meets NATO’s defence spending benchmark of 5% of GDP and called for an end to internal squabbling within the alliance, urging members to focus on external threats. “If we want the best for our countries in NATO, we must stick together,” she added.
Ankara talks to sidestep Greenland row
Frederiksen stated she has no intention of discussing Trump’s pronouncements on Greenland during the meeting in Ankara: “No discussions are scheduled concerning the High North, the Arctic, or Greenland in particular. I am pleased that NATO is now taking greater responsibility for the Arctic region. This is an absolute necessity.”
On July 7, Trump declared that Greenland should be under US control. “It should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark,” he said during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, describing the island as “an important part of the world for the US” and claiming that Chinese and Russian vessels were encircling it.
