Greenland PM responds to Trump’s claims on Greenland, saying that the territory will decide on its own future.
The newly elected Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said that he would not put the territory in the United States in response to the recent comments from President Donald Trump in the annex to the vast Arctic region.
“President Trump says that the United States is getting Greenland. Let me be clear: the United States does not get that. We do not belong to anyone else. We determine our own future,” Nielsen said in an article on Facebook on Sunday.
Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he had “absolutely” discussed the possibility of annexing Greenland. “We will have Greenland. Yes, 100%,” he said, doubling his complaint.
The tension between the two nations intensified after the American vice-president JD Vance visited a military base in Greenland and accused Denmark not to protect the strategically located island.
Vance said the United States could offer better security for the region, which has significant geopolitical value.
In response, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed his frustration in the face of the “tone” of the American administration during their criticism.
“We do not appreciate the tone in which it is delivered. This is not how you are talking to your nearby allies,” said Rasmussen in a video on social networks, reaffirming Denmark’s commitment to the security of the Arctic and his desire to cooperate with the United States.
Despite this diplomatic row, Trump remained provocative, saying to NBC News: “I never remove the military force from the table” concerning Greenland.
Rasmussen, however, insisted that Denmark and the United States are still close allies, despite the current tensions on the issue.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, remains a key discord while Trump pushes more American influence in the region for reasons of national security.
