Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is maintaining that Denmark will not negotiate its sovereignty, even as President Donald Trump announces that a deal “framework” for Greenland has been reached.
In a statement, she said the country is willing to discuss matters with allies provided that such engagement respects Denmark’s “territorial integrity.”
“Security in the Arctic concerns the entire NATO alliance. Therefore, it is appropriate and natural for it to be discussed between NATO’s Secretary General and the U.S. President. The Kingdom of Denmark has long advocated for increased NATO engagement in the Arctic,” Frederiksen noted in the statement, which was issued in Danish.
“We have maintained close dialogue with NATO, and I have spoken regularly with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, both before and after his meeting with President Trump in Davos. NATO is fully aware of the Kingdom of Denmark’s position. We can negotiate on all political matters—security, investments, economy—but we cannot negotiate our sovereignty,” she declared.
The Danish prime minister emphasized that “only Denmark and Greenland can make decisions regarding matters concerning them. The Kingdom of Denmark wants to continue constructive dialogue with allies on strengthening Arctic security, including the U.S. Golden Dome program, as long as our territorial integrity is respected.”
Her remarks follow Trump’s announcement on Truth Social that, “Based on a very productive meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, we have established a framework for a future deal regarding Greenland and the entire Arctic Region.”
“This solution, if completed, will be excellent for the United States and all NATO nations,” Trump stated. “Based on this understanding, I will not impose the tariffs scheduled to take effect on February 1st. Further discussions are underway regarding the Golden Dome as it relates to Greenland.”
During a speech at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland on Thursday, Trump indicated he would not use force to seize Greenland.
While addressing the issue, he said, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would frankly be unstoppable. But I won’t do that.”
“I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland,” Trump said.
In a statement, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said, “We welcome that the President has ruled out taking Greenland by force and has paused the trade war. Now let’s sit down and determine how we can address American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark.”