Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen today expressed a firm position in relation to US President Donald Trump's new statement that Greenland "should be under US control", DPA reported, BTA reported.
Asked to comment on Trump's words upon her arrival for consultations at the NATO summit in the Turkish capital Ankara, Frederiksen again stressed that the Arctic island, which is administered by the Kingdom of Denmark, "is not for sale".
"We hope that everyone, including all allies (in NATO - ed. note), will respect the right of self-determination of the people of Greenland. We are a sovereign country and we want everyone to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty," she said.
Yesterday, Trump reiterated his position that Greenland "should be under the control of the United States, not Denmark," highlighting the presence of Chinese and Russian ships around the vast Arctic territory.
Noting that Denmark had already opposed his intention to acquire Greenland, despite "all the money we spent helping them with Russia," he again raised the possibility of US troops being withdrawn from Europe.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has been mediating the dispute, said that "it's going well." on Denmark and Greenland.
Denmark and the United States began talks in February on a possible future agreement that would ensure Arctic security through joint action by the United States and Arctic allies. The allies have also increased their military presence in Greenland.
Rutte stressed that Trump remains "fully committed" to NATO despite differences over Greenland, defense spending and the war with Iran.
Icelandic Prime Minister Kristúrn Frostadóttir defended Denmark, saying that "Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders." They do not want to be part of the United States. "What we need is unity. In the alliance, we face external threats," she said, referring to Russia.
"We need to focus on ourselves and how we fit together," Frostadóttir said.