Greenland PM rejects Trump claims of deal, says sovereignty not negotiable

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen used a brief press conference on Thursday to firmly reject claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that an agreement had been reached regarding Greenland, stressing that no such deal could exist without Greenland’s consent. Trump has been vague about any details, calling it a “framework”, but telling FOX Business that it was “really being negotiated now” and that “essentially it’s total access. It’s – there’s no end, there’s no time limit,” he said.

“Nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark has the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. Without us, that’s not going to happen,” he said.

“This is not only about us.”

Less than a year into his time as Prime Minister, Nielsen has had to navigate treacherous Arctic waters as Washington has ramped up rhetoric about annexing his country, possibly by force. Standing in the podium in Nuuk, his wry smile seemed to indicate that he was almost bemused, as if he was still grasping the role that had been thrust upon him, as the unofficial spokesperson for multilateralism and international law, with the international media probing him on the words of the world’s most powerful man.

“This is not only about us. This is actually about something much bigger. It’s about the world order, the principle we have built the world on, the Western alliance on that have kept the world safe for many, many years,” Nielsen said.

He said he had no knowledge of any concrete agreement discussed between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, despite Trump’s public claims following their meeting. Appearing on FOX yesterday Rutte claimed that Greenland had, in fact, not been a topic of discussion, but rather greater Arctic security.

“In terms of the deal that’s been talking about, I don’t know what’s concrete in that deal either,” Nielsen said. “We have said from the beginning in Greenland we have some red lines. We cannot cross the red lines. We have to respect our territorial integrity. We have to respect international law, sovereignty.”

Nielsen claimed that statement’s made by the U.S. President at the WEF in Davos, had settled some nerves and deescalated tensions, which had taken a psychological toll on Greenlanders.

“Until yesterday we couldn’t rule out anything. As I hear it, the will to have Greenland, to own Greenland was still a part of the rhetoric yesterday,” he said. “Try to imagine how it is as Greenlanders, as people here, peaceful people in Greenland, to hear and see in the media every day that somebody want to take your freedom.”

When asked about what impact the events of the past 12 months will have on his nation’s future relationship with the U.S., Nielsen acknowledged that the rhetoric has already damaged relations with Washington, saying repeated statements about acquiring Greenland had altered how the two sides now view one another.

“No doubt the rhetoric we have heard the last year is unacceptable for us,” he said. “And that will make something in the way of thinking of each other.”

Throughout the press conference, Nielsen repeatedly returned to the idea of defined limits, even as he signalled openness to deeper cooperation with the United States within existing frameworks, including NATO and the defence agreement between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark.

“We are ready to cooperate more in economics and other areas. But that’s something we have to talk about in mutual respect,” he said.

“Sovereignty is a red line”

He rejected suggestions that sovereignty could be diluted through partial arrangements or control over specific locations, stressing that territorial integrity was not divisible. This red line also covered any discussion about mineral extraction.

“Sovereignty is a red line. Our integrity and our borders and international law is definitely, definitely a red line,” Nielsen said. “Also in terms of our mineral resources, no doubt in Greenland, if you want to exploit, you of course have to respect our regulation and our very high environmental standards because that’s a part of us, that’s a part of our culture. But let’s talk about it.”

On security, Nielsen said Greenland was willing to discuss doing more within NATO, including a more permanent presence focused on Arctic defence, but emphasised that any such steps would have to be negotiated through established diplomatic channels.

“We are willing to do more in a NATO frame. We are ready to also have a concrete NATO mission in Greenland to cooperate,” he said.

Asked whether he trusted Trump’s assurances that Greenland would not be taken by force, Nielsen said his confidence lay less in personalities and more in the international system itself.

“What we want to believe is the frame that made peace in the world for many, many, many years after some horrible times,” he said. “This is about international law. This is about respecting territorial integrity.”

Nielsen ended the briefing by reiterating that Greenland would continue to pursue dialogue through diplomacy, while making clear that its status as a country was not open to negotiation.

“We are ready to discuss things in mutual respect. Let’s start there and then we can see,” he said.