Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen says her nation stays ‘Greenland’s closest associate’ throughout a three-day journey to Greenland.
Denmark’s prime minister has pledged to help Greenland in opposition to US President Donald Trump’s expressions of curiosity in buying the Danish semi-autonomous territory as she landed in Nuuk for talks with its incoming authorities.
Mette Frederiksen started her three-day journey to the huge Arctic island lower than every week after a go to to the territory by US Vice President JD Vance drew a frosty reception from authorities in Denmark and Greenland.
“The US shall not take over Greenland. Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders,” Frederiksen advised reporters within the capital Nuuk on Wednesday.
The Danish chief stated she wished to help Greenland “in a really, very tough scenario”.
Forward of her go to, she had stated she aimed to strengthen Copenhagen’s ties with the island and emphasised the significance of respectful cooperation at a time of what she described as “nice strain on Greenland”.
Greenland’s incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who received final month’s parliamentary election and can kind a coalition authorities, has welcomed Frederiksen’s journey, saying that Denmark stays “Greenland’s closest associate”.
Frederiksen promised to do what she might to make sure equal rights to Greenlanders and Danes throughout the Danish realm.
“Most of all, we have to focus on the overseas and safety coverage scenario, geopolitics, and the way we method this very, very tough job collectively as a result of that’s what it’s all about now.”
Nielsen’s new coalition is predicted to formally take workplace on April 7.
Along with assembly Nielsen, Frederiksen can also be anticipated to fulfill with the longer term Naalakkersuisut, the Cupboard, throughout her go to, which is predicted to final via Friday.
Greenland is a mineral-rich, strategically vital island that’s turning into extra accessible due to local weather change. Trump has stated that the landmass is vital to US safety.
The nation affords the shortest route from North America to Europe, giving the US a strategic higher hand for its army and ballistic missile early-warning system.
‘Respectful’ relationship
Relations between Greenland and Denmark have been strained after revelations lately of historic mistreatment of Greenlanders beneath colonial rule. Trump’s curiosity in controlling Greenland, a part of a rising worldwide concentrate on competitors for affect within the Arctic, has prompted Denmark to step up efforts to enhance relations with the island.
Nielsen advised Reuters information company late on Monday that Greenland would strengthen its ties with Denmark till it might fulfil its final want to turn into a sovereign nation.
Specialists have stated that the US’s curiosity in a takeover has really strengthened Greenland’s ties with Copenhagen.
Richard Powell, professor of Arctic research on the College of Cambridge, advised Al Jazeera that whereas independence was nonetheless a “broadly widespread long-term purpose”, Trump’s curiosity within the nation has “consolidated Greenland’s future throughout the Kingdom of Denmark, a minimum of for the subsequent couple of many years”.
Greenland needs to ascertain a “respectful” relationship with the USA, Nielsen stated.
“Speaking about annexation and speaking about buying Greenland and never respecting the sovereignty shouldn’t be respectful. So let’s begin by being respectful to one another and construct up a fantastic partnership on the whole lot,” he stated.
Frederiksen’s go to is primarily about signalling help at a time of intense scrutiny, stated Ulrik Pram Gad, an instructional on the Danish Institute for Worldwide Research.
“It’s important for Denmark to sign to Greenland that Denmark is Greenland’s closest buddy and ally – and to the US that it stands behind Greenland,” he stated.
Throughout his go to to a US army base in northern Greenland final Friday, Vance accused Denmark of not doing a superb job of conserving the island protected and advised the US would higher defend the strategically positioned territory.
Frederiksen, who has stated it’s as much as the folks of Greenland to determine their very own future, known as Vance’s description of Denmark “not truthful”.
Opinion polls present {that a} majority of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants help independence from Denmark, however many oppose in search of independence too shortly, fearing their island might turn into worse off and expose itself to US pursuits.
