Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Fredrik Nielsen and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Copenhagen [Liselotte Sabroe / Ritzau Scanpix via Reuters]
Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen has said the self-ruled Arctic region wants to remain part of Denmark and has no interest in joining the United States, as President Donald Trump renewed his effort to take control of the island.
Speaking at a news conference in Copenhagen alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Nielsen said Greenland faced intense global pressure, but its choice was clear.
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Nielsen said, “We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose here and now between the United States and Denmark, we choose Denmark.”
His comments come a day after Greenland's government rejected Trump's latest threats, insisting that any attempt to annex the island is unacceptable.
“The United States has once again reiterated its desire to annex Greenland. This is something that the ruling coalition in Greenland cannot accept under any circumstances,” the coalition government said in a statement.
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Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Danish Commonwealth and is a member of NATO through Denmark. The government said its security should be handled within the same framework.
“As part of the Danish Commonwealth, Greenland is a member of NATO, and therefore the defense of Greenland must take place through NATO,” the statement said.
Frederiksen said Denmark has been forced to stand firm against pressure from Washington.
“It is not easy to stand up to what I consider to be completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally,” she said.
Trump has repeatedly emphasized that the United States will take control of Greenland, saying it will happen “one way or another.” His comments have alarmed European allies who warned that any forced takeover would seriously damage relations between the United States and Europe, while also deepening tensions inside NATO.
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Aja Chemnitz, a Greenlandic politician in the Danish parliament, said Trump's comments went against the wishes of the majority of people on the island, which has a population of about 56,000.
“Greenland is not for sale, and Greenland will never be for sale,” Chemnitz, of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party, told Al Jazeera.
“People think they can buy the soul of Greenland. It's our identity, our language, our culture. If you become a US citizen it will look completely different, and most people in Greenland don't want that.”
