Tensions Rise Over Greenland: Denmark Responds to Trump’s Remarks

Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, asserted on Tuesday that no nation should be allowed to unilaterally claim another, following US President Donald Trump’s provocative comments regarding Greenland. Trump, who took office just the day before, triggered concerns earlier this month by suggesting military intervention to bring Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, and the Panama Canal under US control.

“We can’t have a world order where countries, regardless of their size, can simply take what they want,” Rasmussen emphasized to reporters. Although Trump did not mention Greenland in his inauguration speech, he was later questioned by reporters in the Oval Office, where he remarked, “Greenland is a wonderful place, we need it for international security,” suggesting that Denmark might find it beneficial to relinquish control due to the costs associated with maintaining the territory.

Rasmussen expressed relief that Greenland was not prioritized in Trump’s speech, but he remained cautious about the underlying rhetoric. “It doesn’t make me call off any crisis, because he said other things about expanding American territory,” he noted.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede firmly stated, “Greenland is not for sale,” while expressing openness to business dealings with the US. Among the Danish public, the absence of Greenland in Trump’s inauguration remarks brought a sense of relief. Actor Donald Andersen, 68, reflected, “He didn’t mention Greenland or Denmark in his speech last night, so I think there’s room for diplomacy.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also weighed in, asserting the importance of navigating a “new reality” and highlighting the rights of the Greenlandic people to self-determination. She underscored Denmark’s need to maintain a robust alliance with the US, describing it as the nation’s most significant partnership since World War II.

In light of the escalating situation, several Danish party leaders convened at the prime minister’s office for a briefing. Pia Olsen Dyhr, leader of the Green Left, remarked on the challenges ahead: “We have to recognize that the next four years will be difficult years.”