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Denmark and Greenland show united front against US 'annexation' threats

Hafsa Khalil
BBC News
Getty Images Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (C) in a beige coat, Greenland's outgoing prime minister Mute Egede (R) in a red and black coat, and newly elected prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (L) in a dark blue coat, hold a press conference at a port in Nuuk. There is water in the background, and netted fencing.Getty Images
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (C), Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede (R) and newly elected Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (L)

Denmark will not give up Greenland to the US, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has said during an official visit to the Arctic Island.

Responding to repeated threats from Donald Trump, Frederiksen offered closer collaboration on security but told the US president: "You can't annex other countries."

Frederiksen stood alongside Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and his predecessor Mute Egede in a show of and unity in the face of US threats on Thursday.

Her three-day trip to the territory follows last week's controversial visit by a US delegation headed up by Vice-President JD Vance, which was widely criticised in both Greenland and Denmark.

During his whirlwind trip, Vance reiterated Trump's ambitions to bring Greenland under United States' control for security reasons, criticised Denmark for not spending more on security in the region, and claimed it had "not done a good job" for Greenlanders.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Brussels, where he "reaffirmed the strong relationship" between the US and Denmark, the US State Department said in a statement.

Rasmussen said Rubio had acknowledged Greenland's right to self-determination but added that Denmark would object to "any claims on Greenland", Reuters news agency reported.

After arriving in Greenland on Wednesday, Frederiksen said: "It is clear that with the pressure put on Greenland by the Americans, in of sovereignty, borders and the future, we need to stay united."

Frederiksen said on Thursday that Denmark was fortifying its military presence in the Arctic and offered closer collaboration with the United States in defending the region.

But she added: "When you demand to take over a part of... Denmark's territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in, about the country that we have ired for so many years"Pete Hegseth wearing a dark navy suit speaks at a lectern while pointing his finger at the audience. In the background is a blue screen displaying the Shangri-la Dialogue's name and topic of Hegseth's speech. " class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/>

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