Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen says her nation stays ‘Greenland’s closest associate’ throughout a three-day journey to Greenland.
Denmark’s prime minister has pledged to assist Greenland in opposition to US President Donald Trump’s expressions of curiosity in buying the Danish semi-autonomous territory as she landed in Nuuk for talks with its incoming authorities.
Mette Frederiksen started her three-day journey to the huge Arctic island lower than per week after a go to to the territory by US Vice President JD Vance drew a frosty reception from authorities in Denmark and Greenland.
“The US shall not take over Greenland. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” Frederiksen informed reporters within the capital Nuuk on Wednesday.
The Danish chief mentioned she needed to assist Greenland “in a really, very troublesome state of affairs”.
Forward of her go to, she had mentioned she aimed to strengthen Copenhagen’s ties with the island and emphasised the significance of respectful cooperation at a time of what she described as “nice stress on Greenland”.
Greenland’s incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who received final month’s parliamentary election and can kind a coalition authorities, has welcomed Frederiksen’s journey, saying that Denmark stays “Greenland’s closest associate”.
Frederiksen promised to do what she might to make sure equal rights to Greenlanders and Danes inside the Danish realm.
“Most of all, we have to focus on the overseas and safety coverage state of affairs, geopolitics, and the way we method this very, very troublesome activity collectively as a result of that’s what it’s all about now.”
Nielsen’s new coalition is predicted to formally take workplace on April 7.
Along with assembly Nielsen, Frederiksen can be anticipated to fulfill with the longer term Naalakkersuisut, the Cupboard, throughout her go to, which is predicted to final by Friday.
Greenland is a mineral-rich, strategically vital island that’s changing into extra accessible due to local weather change. Trump has mentioned that the landmass is vital to US safety.
The nation presents the shortest route from North America to Europe, giving the US a strategic higher hand for its navy and ballistic missile early-warning system.
‘Respectful’ relationship
Relations between Greenland and Denmark have been strained after revelations lately of historic mistreatment of Greenlanders below colonial rule. Trump’s curiosity in controlling Greenland, a part of a rising worldwide concentrate on competitors for affect within the Arctic, has prompted Denmark to step up efforts to enhance relations with the island.
Nielsen informed Reuters information company late on Monday that Greenland would strengthen its ties with Denmark till it might fulfil its final want to grow to be a sovereign nation.
Specialists have mentioned that the US’s curiosity in a takeover has really bolstered Greenland’s ties with Copenhagen.
Richard Powell, professor of Arctic research on the College of Cambridge, informed Al Jazeera that whereas independence was nonetheless a “broadly well-liked long-term objective”, Trump’s curiosity within the nation has “consolidated Greenland’s future inside the Kingdom of Denmark, no less than for the subsequent couple of a long time”.
Greenland needs to determine a “respectful” relationship with the US, Nielsen mentioned.
“Speaking about annexation and speaking about buying Greenland and never respecting the sovereignty will not be respectful. So let’s begin by being respectful to one another and construct up an amazing partnership on all the pieces,” he mentioned.
Frederiksen’s go to is primarily about signalling assist at a time of intense scrutiny, mentioned Ulrik Pram Gad, an educational on the Danish Institute for Worldwide Research.
“It is necessary for Denmark to sign to Greenland that Denmark is Greenland’s closest good friend and ally – and to the US that it stands behind Greenland,” he mentioned.
Throughout his go to to a US navy base in northern Greenland final Friday, Vance accused Denmark of not doing a very good job of maintaining the island protected and urged the US would higher shield the strategically positioned territory.
Frederiksen, who has mentioned it’s as much as the folks of Greenland to resolve their very own future, known as Vance’s description of Denmark “not truthful”.
Opinion polls present {that a} majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants assist independence from Denmark, however many oppose looking for independence too shortly, fearing their island might grow to be worse off and expose itself to US pursuits.
