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Greenland PM says 'we choose Denmark over US'

AFP
AFP - news@thelocal.dk
Greenland PM says 'we choose Denmark over US'
Chair of the Naalakkersuisut Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speak to press in Copenhagen on Wednesday. Photo: Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix

Greenland's prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Tuesday that the autonomous territory would choose to remain Danish rather than become part of the United States.

"We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark," Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a joint press conference with Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.

Trump has further stoked tensions by saying on Sunday that the United States would take the territory "one way or the other".

"One thing must be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States," Nielsen said.

He was speaking alongside Frederiksen, who said it had not been easy to stand up to what she slammed as "completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally".

"However, there are many indications that the most challenging part is ahead of us," Frederiksen said.

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Trump has insisted the US needs Greenland for "national security".

Frederiksen stressed that "of course, we want to strengthen cooperation on security in the Arctic with the United States, with NATO, with Europe and with the Arctic states in NATO."

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt are due to meet with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House on Wednesday.

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Michael Bailey
Denmark (and Europe as a whole) keep treating the United States (and Trump) as a rational actor. They are making the same mistake Democrats have made in treating Republicans as political equals. They are not. They will do whatever they can get away with, and so far everyone is letting them get away with everything.

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