Frederiksen’s comments come just two days after the next US president did not rule out using military or economic power to take control of Greenland. This is the expansionist vision he has repeatedly presented since the November 5 election. Denmark’s prime minister responded Tuesday to President Trump’s remarks about taking control of the island, emphatically saying, “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
Although Trump’s comments made headlines this week, Frederiksen declared Thursday that he had “no reason to believe” the president-elect plans to invade Greenland and emphasized the “close cooperation” between the two NATO allies.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also downplayed Trump’s threat, saying, “You can take Donald Trump seriously without taking him literally.”
Prime Minister Rasmussen also said Denmark “fully respects” Greenland’s desire for independence, adding, “We do not want to be in a confrontation with the Commonwealth.”
The Arctic island, with a population of about 60,000 people, became an autonomous territory of Denmark after being granted so-called autonomy in 1979. Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egge has renewed his call as the United States and Denmark fight over the resource-rich island. It broke away from ‘colonial shackles’ in favor of full independence from Denmark.
The U.S. president-elect’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., met with local residents in Greenland on Tuesday and posted a photo on social media with locals dressed in MAGA gear, claiming “Greenland loves America and Trump.” But a senior Greenlandic politician told POLITICO that the visit was a “step-up” on Thursday, warning the United States not to “invade” the island and repeat its treatment of Alaskan natives.
During his visit, Trump Jr. reportedly claimed that Danes show racism toward native Greenlanders. Frederiksen responded to the accusations on Thursday, saying “you can’t say that Danes as a whole are racist,” but acknowledged that racism against Greenlanders exists.
