Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has called on U.S. President Donald Trump to end any talk of taking over Greenland, saying it makes no sense
and that the United States has no right to do so. The strong statement came on Sunday, January 4, after Trump again said in an interview with The Atlantic magazine that America needs the Arctic island. "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense," Trump told the magazine. According to a report from Reuters, Frederiksen responded quickly in her own statement: "It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the U.S. needing to take over Greenland. The U.S. has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom." She added, "I would therefore strongly urge the U.S. to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale."
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The comments follow worries in Denmark sparked by recent U.S. actions elsewhere. Just before Trump's interview, U.S. had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with Trump stating that Washington would run the country. This raised fears that something similar could be attempted with Greenland, which is a self-governing territory under Denmark.
Greenland sits between Europe and North America, making it important for defense. It hosts parts of the U.S. ballistic missile defense system. The island is also rich in minerals, which could help the U.S. cut dependence on imports from China.
Read more: Arctic Power Grab? Why Trump's Appointment of Greenland Envoy Has Denmark on Edge
Trump has long pushed for the U.S. to control Greenland. On December 21, he named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy to the island. Landry has publicly backed the idea, leading to more criticism from both Denmark and Greenland. Greenland was once a Danish colony. Under a 2009 agreement, it can choose independence someday, but it still relies heavily on money from Denmark. In the past year, Denmark has worked to improve relations with Greenland and has also increased spending on Arctic defense to ease tensions with the Trump administration.
