Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon comments suggesting the United States should take over Greenland, calling the idea baseless and unacceptable.
Speaking after an interview Trump gave to The Atlantic, Frederiksen said Washington had no right to annex Greenland, which is a self-governing territory within the Danish Kingdom.
“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the U.S. needing to take over Greenland. The U.S. has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom,” Frederiksen said in a statement on Sunday.
In the interview, Trump said: “We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.”
The remarks came a day after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, raising concerns in Denmark that Washington could attempt a similar move involving Greenland.
Frederiksen urged the U.S. to halt what she described as threats against close allies.
“I would strongly urge the U.S. to stop these threats against a historically close ally and against another country and people who have clearly stated they are not for sale,” she said.
The office of Greenland’s Prime Minister did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular working hours.
Trump’s comments have renewed debate over Greenland’s strategic significance.
On 21 December, Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the Arctic island, a move that drew criticism from both Denmark and Greenland.
Trump has previously suggested Greenland could become part of the U.S., a position publicly supported by Landry.
The Arctic island occupies a key strategic location between Europe and North America, making it important for the U.S. ballistic missile defence system.
It is also rich in minerals, which Washington sees as important to reducing dependence on Chinese imports.
The island, a former Danish colony, gained the right to declare independence under a 2009 agreement but remains heavily reliant on financial support from Denmark.
Over the past year, Denmark has sought to repair strained relations with Greenland while also easing tensions with the Trump administration through increased investment in Arctic defence.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 939 on Monday, with 3,044 peo...
At least 11 people, including eight children, have been killed after a powerful explosion at a firecracker fact...
Recovery teams are continuing operations in Grand Canyon National Park after flash floods swept through parts of the canyon over the weekend, leavi...
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
The death toll from last week's catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 939 on Monday, with 3,044 people still missing, as fresh rainfall pushed up river levels and forced rescuers to move to higher ground.
Recovery teams are continuing operations in Grand Canyon National Park after flash floods swept through parts of the canyon over the weekend, leaving one person dead and leading to the discovery of a second body that has yet to be recovered.
Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have formalised their new defensive alliance at the grouping’s first high-level meeting held Monday in Istanbul.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has stated that Tehran is not pursuing a military conflict but promised a strong response to 'aggressors' while the Army and Revolutionary Guards said they carried out retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in the region on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan is hosting the sixth World Nomad Games, bringing together thousands of athletes from around the world for a celebration of traditional sports, cultural heritage and nomadic traditions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment