Greenland's new premier rejects Trump's attempts to acquire the island
Jens-Frederik Nielsen took over leadership of the island and once again dismissed U.S. claims over Denmark's autonomous Arctic territory.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Prime Minister of Greenland.
Greenland has a new premier following the March elections, which saw a victory for the centrist Democrats. Jens-Frederik Nielsen took office last Friday and has already addressed Donald Trump’s past idea of acquiring the island.
Much like his predecessors, Nielsen completely rejected the possibility of the United States acquiring or annexing Greenland, a self-governing territory with limited autonomy under Denmark.
"President Trump says the United States will 'get Greenland.' Let's be clear: The United States will not get it. We don't belong to anyone else. We decide our own future," Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post.
The Democrats, the winning party, advocate for greater sovereignty while avoiding a rapid push for full independence from Denmark. Despite this, pro-independence sentiment has been growing on the island, as reflected in the increasing support for the Naleraq party, the most vocal pro-separation option in Greenland's local Parliament.
In his first press conference as leader, he called for political unity to resist external pressures.
His statements follow JD Vance's visit to the island last Friday, during which he flew to the Thule military air base in Pituffik. The base is the northernmost U.S. military enclave in the world and plays a crucial role in Arctic surveillance.
Tensions with Denmark over Greenland issue
"We are open to criticism but, to be honest, we don't appreciate the tone in which it was made," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in a video on X.
"This is not how you talk to your close allies, and I still consider Denmark and the United States to be close allies," he added.
Denmark's response caps a week of high tension between the two countries, triggered when the United States announced an unscheduled visit by U.S. leaders to the autonomous territory.
RECOMMENDATION
LATEST
