Denmark’s Leader Rushes to Greenland as US Takeover Rumors Intensify

On Thursday, the Danish prime minister will visit Greenland to show that Denmark is united with this autonomous territory, which Donald Trump has promised to seize.

The tensions between the United States of America and Denmark have increased since Trump repeatedly said he wanted control over the resource-rich Arctic Island for security purposes.

The Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen told reporters Wednesday that the Americans’ pressure on Greenland in terms of its sovereignty, borders, and future is clear.

Frederiksen’s visit follows a vice president, JD Vance’s trip last week, which both Nuuk (the capital of Nuuk) and Copenhagen viewed with suspicion.

This follows the formation in March of a new Greenland government coalition led by the centre-right Democratic Party.

Frederiksen stated, “I only have one wish: to do everything I can to help this wonderful country in its difficult times and to care for it.”

Observers believe her visit will reassure an island population of 57,000, of which the overwhelming majority, according to polls, wants to be independent from Denmark but does not want to join the United States.

Mikaela Engell, a former Danish High Commissioner in Greenland and an expert on Arctic territories, told reporters: “It’s important for Greenlanders that they see a Danish leader of government.”

She said, “Earlier this year, the Danish Government was almost invisible. Copenhagen’s efforts were described as a tip-toeing approach, trying to accommodate U.S. interest and not anger Trump.”

After the election and Vance’s visit, “the gloves have come off,” Engell stated.

Marc Jacobsen is a researcher with the Royal Danish Defence College. He said the visit will allow Denmark to “show coherence, show support, and to discuss what they can do more concretely in terms both of how to react to the United States but also concrete investments in cooperation.”

Elephant in the Room

Frederiksen will also be expected to continue the position taken by Denmark’s Foreign Minister, “that it was possible to increase U.S. Military presence” following a 1951 defense agreement.

During his visit to the Pituffik base last week, Vance criticized Denmark for not doing a “good job” by the Greenlanders by under-investing in security.

In a social media post, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said, “We welcome criticism, but to be honest, the tone with which it is being delivered does not appeal to us.”

The Danish foreign ministry said that efforts were underway to arrange a meeting between Lokke, the U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio and a NATO meeting this week in Brussels. However, “neither Greenland or the Arctic is planned to be discussed.”

“It’ll be the elephant in your room, right?” Jacobsen said.

He said that the Greenland government would be there if the two countries were to discuss the Arctic. This is the agreement between Denmark and Greenland.

The Washington Post reports that the White House has been estimating how much it would cost the U.S. government to control Greenland and what revenues it could earn from the exploitation of its largely untapped natural resources.