‘We are in a foreign policy situation, which means we have to move closer together,’ Greenland’s new prime minister said on Sunday.
Greenland and Denmark said on April 27 that they will move to solidify their alliance as President Donald Trump continues to express interest in buying the Arctic island.
The display of unity followed discussions in Copenhagen between Greenland’s new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Nielsen arrived in the Danish capital on Saturday for what is slated to be a three-day visit.
“We are in a foreign policy situation, which means we have to move closer together,” Nielsen said at a joint press conference with Frederiksen.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic Ocean to the northeast of Canada, offers strategic, political, and economic advantages, particularly as the United States looks toward the Northwest Passage for shipping routes amid delays at the Panama Canal.
The island is also rich in natural resources, with China, Russia, and the United States all showing a keen interest in taking control of the region.
Trump has expressed concerns over a growing Chinese and Russian naval presence in the region, suggesting U.S. control would ensure national as well as global security.
Nielsen’s visit to Denmark comes as Trump has reiterated his wish for Greenland to become a U.S. territory, with talks of potentially purchasing it from Copenhagen.
Leaders from Denmark and Greenland have responded by saying that only Greenlanders should decide the island’s future. They have tried to maintain a good relationship with the United States while also pushing back on Trump’s proposals to annex the territory.
“We are ready for a strong partnership [with the United States] and more development, but we want respect. … We will never be a piece of property that can be bought by anyone,” Nielsen said.
The United States’ ongoing expansion of its consulate in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, which was agreed to before Trump’s inauguration, is making some Greenlanders anxious, he added.
When asked, Nielsen did not say if he had been in contact with the Trump administration since he took office earlier this month.
Relations between Greenland and Denmark appear to be improving after the island’s previous prime minister, Mute Egede, blamed Denmark in December 2024 for a historical “genocide” in the territory. In January, he advocated for Greenland to become independent from Denmark.
By Jacob Burg
