Greenland’s prime minister says the Arctic island wants to stay in the Kingdom of Denmark, rejecting President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. control as Danish and Greenlandic ministers prepare to meet U.S. leaders in Washington.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Tuesday that his government would rather remain part of Denmark than become a territory of the United States, as President Donald Trump renews calls for Washington to take control of the vast Arctic island.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Copenhagen alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Nielsen said Greenland was not for sale and did not want to join the U.S. "We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the U.S. and Denmark here and now then we choose Denmark," he said. "We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark."
The comments came ahead of a planned meeting on Wednesday at the White House, where Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, are set to meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rasmussen said Vance would host the talks, adding Denmark sought to move the dispute into direct discussions "where we can look each other in the eye and talk about these things".
In London, Greenlandic cabinet minister Naaja Nathanielsen said the rhetoric about Greenland had left many residents feeling "betrayed" and "bewildered". "I think we should be able to have a say ourselves in the future of our lives. For others, this might be a piece of land, but for us, it’s home," she said.
Greenland has been moving gradually towards greater self-rule since 1979, and independence remains a long-term aim across the island’s political spectrum. Nathanielsen said there was no rush, describing Greenland as an American ally while stressing that it did not see its future as part of the United States. "We are quite happy with being part of the Kingdom of Denmark," she said.
Trump has argued Greenland is vital to U.S. security, citing concerns about Russia and China and the island’s strategic location and mineral resources. White House officials have discussed multiple options to bring Greenland under U.S. control, including potential use of the U.S. military and lump-sum payments to Greenlanders as part of an effort to persuade the territory to break from Denmark, according to the report.
Frederiksen acknowledged the strain the dispute is placing on relations with Washington. She described it as difficult to stand up to the U.S., Denmark’s most important ally for decades and a fellow NATO member, and warned "the hardest part is now ahead of us".
Denmark is also preparing to expand its military footprint in Greenland. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Denmark planned a larger presence on the island, with other NATO countries taking part in exercises and training in 2026. Poulsen added he would meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels next week to discuss Arctic security, alongside Greenland’s Motzfeldt.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday (3 June) that ongoing discussions with Denmark and Greenland over the use of the island for collective defence are “in a good place.”
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