Danish leaders reject U.S. claims on Greenland, reaffirm sovereignty

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday insisted that Greenland would remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark, rejecting recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the United States would "go as far as they have to" to acquire the island.

"Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. That is not going to change," Frederiksen told Danish media. "Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people," she added.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen also criticized what he called a "false narrative" in U.S. political circles suggesting Greenland is eager to become American.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described Trump's rhetoric as a "veiled threat" and "deeply inappropriate," warning that the United States was escalating tensions. "It is the people of Greenland who determine Greenland's future," he said.

Meanwhile, a demonstration has been planned in front of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen on Saturday to protest what organizers call "unwanted pressure" from Washington.

The White House announced on Tuesday that Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, will visit Pituffik Space Base on Friday to meet U.S. troops and review the security situation. Earlier plans for Usha Vance to attend cultural events in Nuuk and Sisimiut, including a dog sled race, have been canceled.

Greenland had been a Danish colony until 1953 when it became an integral part of Denmark. In 1979, Greenland achieved home rule, gaining greater self-governance while Denmark retained authority over its foreign and defense policy.

(Cover: A large blue chunk of ice rests on the shoreline rocks on March 27, 2025 in Nuuk, Greenland. /CFP)