Denmark will not give up Greenland in the United States, Danish Prime Minister said Frederiksen during an official visit to the Arctic Island.
Responding to the repeated threats of Donald Trump, Frederiksen offered a closer collaboration on security, but told the American president: “You cannot annex other countries.”
Frederiksen stood alongside the Prime Minister of Greenland Jens-Friedrik Nielsen and his predecessor Mute Egede in a demonstration of support and unit in the face of American threats on Thursday.
His three-day trip to the territory follows the controversial visit last week by an American delegation led by Vice-President JD Vance, who was widely criticized in Greenland and Denmark.
During his whirlwind tripVance reiterated Trump’s ambitions to put Greenland under the control of the United States for security reasons, criticized Denmark for not spending more for security in the region, and said that he had “not done a good job” for the Greenlanders.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Brussels, where he “reaffirmed the strong relationship” between the United States and Denmark, the US State Department said in a statement.
Rasmussen said Rubio had recognized Greenland’s right to self -determination, but added that Denmark would oppose “any complaint on Greenland”, reported the reuters news agency.
After his arrival in Greenland on Wednesday, Frederiksen said: “It is clear that with the pressure exerted on Greenland by the Americans, in terms of sovereignty, borders and the future, we must remain united.”
Frederiksen said Thursday that Denmark strengthened its military presence in the Arctic and had offered a closer collaboration with the United States in the defense of the region.
But she added: “When you demand to resume part of the territory of Denmark, when we are encountered by the pressure and by the threats of our nearest ally, what should we believe, about the country that we have admired for so many years?”
Frederiksen has traveled the Nuuk capital in a Danish navy patrol boat, alongside Egede and Nielsen.
According to the Danish public broadcaster Dr, many people have applauded to see the Danish Prime Minister, with a crying resident of a window: “Hey! Thank you for being here.”
Egede, who was Prime Minister for almost four years, said the island had cooperated with the United States on security for almost 80 years-including the construction of the Pituffik space base following a 1951 agreement between Denmark and the United States.
The former chief insisted that Greenland was not for sale, but added that the island was looking for trade with the United States, Reported the national newspaper of Greenlandic, SermitiSiaq.
Trump first launched the idea of buying Greenland during his first mandate – and his desire to own the island only developed time.
Mikaela ENGELL, an expert in the Arctic territory who previously was the High Commissioner of Denmark in Greenland, told the AFP news agency “that he is very, very important and he is very reassuring for the Groenlanders to see a Danish head of government”.
Greenland – The largest island in the world, between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans – was controlled by Denmark, at almost 3,000 km (1,860 miles), for about 300 years.
Greenland governs its own internal affairs, but decisions on foreign and defense policy are taken in Copenhagen.
Five of the six main parties promote the independence of Copenhagen, but do not agree on the pace with which to reach it.
A new Greenland coalition government was created in March, led by the Party of Central-Droit Democrats which promotes a progressive approach to independence.
Surveys show that the vast majority of Greenlanders also want to become independent of Denmark, but do not want to be part of the United States.
Since 2009, Greenland has had the right to call a referendum on independence, although in recent years, some political parties have started to push more.
