Denmark’s prime minister has rejected renewed talk from the United States about acquiring Greenland, stressing that Denmark will stand firm on the status of the autonomous territory.
In her New Year’s address, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark has significantly increased its military strength and security focus in the Arctic amid rising geopolitical pressure.
“Never before have we increased our military strength so significantly, so quickly,” Frederiksen said in the televised speech.
Her remarks came after renewed statements from US President Donald Trump, who has again expressed interest in Greenland becoming part of the United States and recently appointed a special envoy to the territory.
Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but is largely self-governing, and opinion polls have consistently shown strong opposition among Greenlanders to becoming part of the United States.
While Mette Frederiksen’s remarks on the Greenland issue drew international attention, she made it clear that foreign policy was not the main focus of her speech. The New Year address primarily dealt with domestic issues, including youth wellbeing in a digital age, social inequality, healthcare, and plans to tighten deportation rules for foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes.
Only toward the end of the speech did the prime minister return to security and foreign affairs, referring to pressure and rhetoric from Denmark’s “closest ally” about taking over “another country, another people”. She said Denmark does not seek conflict, but would defend what it considers right and lawful.
King Frederik X echoed the security message in his own New Year address, highlighting new military training programmes in Greenland and calling for unity within the Kingdom of Denmark, Europe and NATO.