Greenland's prime minister has stated that his people would choose Denmark over the US if they were asked to make such a choice here and now.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen's remark at a joint news conference with Denmark's prime minister is the strongest by a representative of the semi-autonomous Danish territory since US President Donald Trump renewed his plan to annex it.
Trump argues that the US needs to own Greenland to defend against Russia and China. The White House has suggested purchasing the island, but has not ruled out the use of force to annex it.
Denmark is a fellow NATO member and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that military force would jeopardize the trans-Atlantic defense alliance.
Despite being sparsely populated, Greenland's strategic location between North America and the Arctic makes it crucial for early warning systems against potential missile attacks.
Trump has made claims about the necessity of Greenland for US national security but has faced pushback internationally and from local leaders.
Frederiksen condemned the completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally during the conference. The statement from Nielsen echoed this, asserting that Greenlanders do not wish to be governed or owned by the US.
As tensions rise, support from Denmark’s NATO allies has emerged, stressing the importance of sovereignty and collective decision-making in Arctic security matters.
