Greenland’s newly elected Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has stated that the territory will not be handed over to the United States, following recent comments by US President Donald Trump regarding potential annexation, Al Jazeera reports.
“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 posted on Facebook Sunday.
Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he had “absolutely” discussed the possibility of annexing Greenland:
“We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100 percent.”
Tensions between the US and Denmark, which Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of, have increased following a visit by US Vice President JD Vance to a military base in Greenland. Vance reportedly suggested that the US could provide better security for the strategically located island.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen responded to these statements, expressing frustration with the US administration’s “tone.”
“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, while reaffirming Denmark’s commitment to Arctic security and cooperation with the US.
Despite the diplomatic concerns raised, Trump told NBC News:
“I never take military force off the table” regarding Greenland.
Rasmussen maintained that Denmark and the US remain close allies, despite the current disagreement.
The latest news in your social feeds
Subscribe to our social media platforms to stay tuned