Greenland PM vows stronger ties with Denmark amid U.S. pressure for control

Reuters
Reuters

Greenland's incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen pledged on Monday to strengthen ties with Denmark while pursuing the Arctic island's ultimate goal of independence.

“We have a strong partnership with Denmark, and that's what we're going to build on until the day we can be sovereign,” Nielsen told Reuters.

Despite Trump’s ambitions to increase U.S. control over Greenland, Nielsen emphasized that the island seeks partnerships based on mutual respect. “Greenland will never be a part of America... We want a strong partnership on national security, of course, but we will never be for sale and we will never be Americans,” he said.

Nielsen's remarks followed criticism from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who, during a visit to a U.S. military base in northern Greenland on Friday, accused Denmark of failing to adequately protect the island. Vance suggested that the United States would better safeguard Greenland’s strategic interests.

Nielsen, however, reaffirmed Greenland’s commitment to eventual independence. “We don't want to be Americans. We don't either want to be Danes in the future. We want to be independent,” he said.

Greenland remains a semi-autonomous territory under Danish control but has been gradually seeking greater self-determination.

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