Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on Thursday for increased Arctic defense collaboration with the United States during a visit to Greenland, and firmly dismissed the U.S. desire to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Frederiksen’s visit follows months of tension between Washington and Copenhagen over U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated declarations that the Arctic island should become part of the United States.
At a press conference with the outgoing and incoming Greenlandic prime ministers, Frederiksen switched to English to address the United States directly, inviting them to strengthen security in the Arctic together with Denmark and Greenland.
“I would like to take this opportunity to send a message directly to the United States of America,” Frederiksen said onboard a military vessel with snowy cliffs in the background.
“This is not only about Greenland or Denmark, this is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations. You cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about security,” she said.
Her comments came shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen met on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.
According to Rasmussen, Rubio acknowledged Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Rubio had reaffirmed the “strong relationship” between the U.S. and Denmark, the State Department said in a statement after the meeting.
Meanwhile, Greenlandic incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who won last month’s parliamentary election, told the press conference it was important for Denmark and Greenland to stand united during a situation with such external pressure, according to daily Sermitsiaq.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited a U.S. military base in northern Greenland last Friday and accused Denmark of not doing a good job of keeping the Arctic island safe. He suggested the U.S. would better protect the strategically located territory.
Frederiksen said at the time Vance’s description of Denmark was “not fair.”
On Thursday, she outlined Denmark’s security commitments, including new Arctic ships, long-range drones and satellite capacity, and said Denmark would announce more investments.
“If you want to be more present in Greenland, Greenland and Denmark is ready and if you would like to strengthen the security in the Arctic just like us, then let us do it together,” she said.
© (Thomson Reuters 2025.
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