No talks on sovereignty: Danish PM on Greenland issue

Denmark and Greenland can only decide on matters concerning them, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement a day after US President Donald Trump said he wanted to start “immediate talks” on acquiring ownership of Greenland.

The Danish PM said, “Arctic security is a matter for the entire NATO alliance. Therefore, it is good and natural that it is also discussed between the NATO Secretary General and the US President. Denmark has been working for a long time for NATO to increase its involvement in the Arctic.”

She also said she is in regular discussions with the Greenland government and NATO. In her words, “NATO is fully aware of the position of the Kingdom of Denmark. We can discuss everything political; security, investment, economy. But we cannot discuss our sovereignty. I am informed that this has not happened either.”

"And of course, only Denmark and Greenland can decide on matters related to Denmark and Greenland," Mette Frederiksen said.

She also said, "Denmark wants to engage in a constructive dialogue with its allies. There, we can discuss how we can strengthen the security of the Arctic. But on the condition that this is done with respect for our territorial integrity."

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has kept all options open to the occupation of the autonomous region of Greenland, Denmark. He had "options" such as negotiations with Denmark, luring the Greenlanders with money and using military force. However, in a speech in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said that he would not use force or military force to get the island.

Although Trump has claimed that Greenland must be brought under US control to ensure his country's and global security. However, he said that force would not be necessary to achieve that goal. In the words of the US President, ‘If I don’t decide to use excessive force and force, we probably won’t get anything. But if we do, we are unstoppable.’ He then added, ‘But I won’t do that.’

After a while, Trump said, explaining the big decision he had made about Greenland, ‘This is probably the biggest statement I’ve ever made. People thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.’

News BBC