Denmark’s prime minister has issued a blunt warning to Donald Trump, urging him to halt what she described as threatening rhetoric over Greenland.
Mette Frederiksen said “it makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland”, adding, “The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom.”
Her comments followed a social media post by Katie Miller, wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, who shared an image of Greenland coloured like the US flag with the caption “SOON”, reports BBC.
Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of Greenland becoming part of the United States, pointing to its strategic importance and natural resources, and he repeated those claims after Frederiksen’s remarks.
In her statement, posted on the Danish government website, Frederiksen said she was addressing the US “very directly”.
She underlined that Denmark,“and thus Greenland” is a Nato member protected by the alliance’s collective defence clause. Denmark already has a defence agreement with the US that allows American access to Greenland, she noted, and has increased its own security spending in the Arctic.
“I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” she said.
Despite that appeal, Trump reiterated his position just hours later while speaking aboard Air Force One. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he said.
Earlier the Danish ambassador to the US responded to the post by Mrs Miller – a right-wing podcaster and former aide to Trump during his first term – with a “friendly reminder” that the two countries were allies and saying Denmark expected respect for its territorial integrity.
The diplomatic exchange comes in the wake of a large-scale US military operation in Venezuela on Saturday, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their transfer to New York. Trump later said the US would “run” Venezuela and that US oil companies would “start making money for the country”.
Trump has previously declined to rule out the use of force to gain control of Greenland. He has argued that bringing the Arctic territory under US control would advance American security interests because of its location and its supply of minerals vital to advanced technologies.
Tensions were further heightened after the Trump administration appointed a special envoy to Greenland, a move that drew criticism in Denmark.
Greenland, home to about 57,000 people, has enjoyed broad self-rule since 1979, although defence and foreign affairs are still managed by Denmark.
While many Greenlanders support eventual independence from Denmark, surveys consistently show strong resistance to becoming part of the United States.
