NUUK, Greenland: Denmark\u2019s prime minister is wrapping up a three-day visit to Greenland on Friday after telling the US \u201cyou cannot annex another country,\u201d even with the argument that international security is at stake.
\nPrime Minister Mette Frederiksen traveled to the strategically critical Arctic island as US President Donald Trump seeks control of Greenland. He argues that Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, is critical to US security.
\nA week ago, Vice President JD Vance visited a remote US military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory.
\nFrederiksen pushed back against the US criticism as she spoke on Thursday alongside Greenland\u2019s incoming and outgoing leaders. She argued that Denmark, a NATO ally, has been a reliable friend.
\nSpeaking in English, she said that \u201cif we let ourselves be divided as allies, then we do our foes a favor. And I will do everything that I can to prevent that from happening.\u201d
\n\u201cWhen you ask our businesses to invest in the US, they do. When you ask us to spend more on our defense, we do; and when you ask of us to strengthen security in the Arctic, we are on the same page,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cBut when you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark\u2019s territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in about the country that we have admired for so many years?\u201d
\n\u201cThis is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations: you cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about international security,\u201d Frederiksen said.
\nThe Danish leader said that, if the US wants to strengthen security in the Arctic, \u201clet us do so together.\u201d
\nPolitical parties in Greenland, which has been leaning toward eventual independence from Denmark for years, last week agreed to form a broad-based new coalition government in the face of Trump\u2019s designs on the territory. Those have angered many in Greenland and Denmark.
\nIn an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Vance repeated the accusation that Denmark has \u201creally underinvested in the infrastructure and security of Greenland.\u201d
\nHe said Trump\u2019s point is that \u201cthis matters to our security, this matters to our missile defense, and we\u2019re going to protect America\u2019s interests come hell or high water.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NUUK, Greenland: Denmark\u2019s prime minister is wrapping up a three-day visit to Greenland on Friday after telling the US \u201cyou cannot annex another country,\u201d even with the argument that international security is at stake. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen traveled to the strategically critical Arctic island as US President Donald Trump seeks control of Greenland. He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470511,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-470498","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n