Danish leaders have forcefully rejected recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting American interest in acquiring Greenland, reaffirming the island’s status as an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated unequivocally, "Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people," emphasizing it is "not going to change" its constitutional relationship with Denmark.
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen dismissed U.S. political discussions about Greenland’s future as a "false narrative," while Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned Trump’s remarks as a "veiled threat" and "deeply inappropriate." The Danish government reiterated that Greenland’s future must be determined by its residents, who retain self-governance under a 1979 agreement, while Denmark handles foreign and defense policy.
Tensions have spilled into public dissent, with a planned protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on Saturday opposing perceived "unwanted pressure" from Washington. This follows the cancellation of cultural events in Greenland originally scheduled for U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, during their visit to Pituffik Space Base.
Greenland, a strategic Arctic territory rich in resources, transitioned from a Danish colony to an integrated part of Denmark in 1953 before gaining home rule in 1979. Its geopolitical significance continues to draw global attention amid shifting regional dynamics.
