Mette Frederiksen says ‘no reason to believe that there is a military threat to Greenland or Denmark’.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen says the country has received substantial support from fellow European nations as she seeks support to counter United States President Donald Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland.
Trump has said the Arctic island – an autonomous Danish territory – is vital to US national security and refused to rule out using military force to acquire the territory.
Frederiksen visited three European capitals on Tuesday, meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“I have no reason to believe that there is a military threat to Greenland or Denmark,” Frederiksen told Danish media before a meeting with Rutte in Brussels on Tuesday.
Speaking alongside Macron in Paris earlier, the Danish prime minister told reporters that she had received “a great deal of support” from Europe.
Chancellor Scholz, who met with Frederiksen as well, emphasised that “borders must not be moved by force”. He also said that “the times we live in are challenging” and stressed the need for a strong Europe and NATO.
The Danish prime minister praised the consensus, stating, “This is a very, very clear message … that, of course, there must be respect for territory and the sovereignty of states.”
The meetings come on the heels of a Nordic summit over the weekend, where all leaders shared concerns about the situation, according to Frederiksen.
Copenhagen also announced this week that it would allocate 14.6 billion kroner ($2bn) to enhance its defence spending in the region. The funding will pay for three new frigates and long-range drones with advanced imaging technology. The country also plans to bolster its satellite capabilities.
Trump has long expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, an Arctic island believed to be rich in untapped mineral and oil resources. Earlier this month, he did not rule out using force or imposing tariffs to acquire the Danish autonomous territory.
On Saturday, Trump told reporters that he believed the US would eventually “get Greenland”, which he sees as a valuable region as the melting Arctic ice opens up new shipping routes.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen firmly pushed back against the remarks, saying that “Trump will not have Greenland”.
Greenland’s trade and justice minister, Naaja Nathanielsen, pointed out to the AFP news agency that the US has maintained a military presence on the island for 80 years.
Greenland is “not opposed to that”, she told the outlet.
However, she emphasised that if Trump’s intentions were expansionist, “we are a democracy, we are allies, and we ask our allies to respect our institutions”.
Nathanielsen added that the Greenlandic people were living through a “worrying time” and were “concerned” about Trump’s comments.
While Greenland has long sought independence from Denmark, it has remained open to doing business with the US.
After Trump’s inauguration, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede stated that Greenlanders “don’t want to be American”.
