Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen said on Tuesday the autonomous territory would choose to remain part of Denmark rather than become part of the United States, following President Donald Trump's threat to take over the Arctic island.
"We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark," Prime Minister Nielsen said at a press conference in Copenhagen, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (14/1).
President Trump has talked about the idea of buying or annexing the Arctic region for years, and further stoked tensions on Sunday by saying the United States would take the territory "by any means."
"One thing must be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be ruled by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States," said Prime Minister Nielsen.
He spoke with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said it was not easy to fight what he denounced as "completely unacceptable pressure from our closest allies."
"However, there are many indications that the most challenging part is ahead of us," Prime Minister Frederiksen said.
President Trump himself insisted that the Uncle Sam's country needed Greenland for "national security."
PM Frederiksen stressed, "of course we want to strengthen security cooperation in the Arctic with the United States, with NATO, with Europe, and with Arctic countries in NATO."
Separately, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenland counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, are scheduled to meet with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House on Wednesday.
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