In a harsh assessment, Denmark’s leader has stated that the United States’ interest in acquiring Greenland should be viewed as a genuine ambition, while firmly rejecting the possibility.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday that she believes former U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about wanting to take over Greenland, and that both Denmark and Greenland have clearly and repeatedly rejected his ambition. The comments, made in an interview, underscore the lasting diplomatic reverberations from a 2019 proposal that was initially met with disbelief.
“Unfortunately, I think the American president should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland,” Frederiksen told public broadcaster DR, referring to the renewed discussions around the idea.
The Prime Minister emphasized the unified and unwavering position of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Greenland as a self-governing territory. “I have made it very clear where the Kingdom of Denmark stands, and Greenland has repeatedly said that it does not want to be part of the United States,” she added, leaving no room for ambiguity on the subject.
Frederiksen also connected the issue to broader security concerns within the NATO alliance, of which both Denmark and the United States are members. She issued a clear warning about the consequences of aggression between allies, stating, “If the United States attacks another NATO country, everything stops.” This statement highlights the serious geopolitical implications considered by European leaders in response to the proposed territorial change.
The idea of the U.S. purchasing Greenland first gained significant attention in 2019 during Trump’s presidency, prompting a diplomatic crisis. Frederiksen’s latest remarks confirm that the proposal is still considered a matter of serious political discourse, rather than a dismissed novelty, and that the Danish and Greenlandic rejection remains absolute.
