Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen announced Monday that he held a cordial and constructive discussion with President Donald Trump’s special Arctic representative, while firmly emphasizing that Greenlandic independence remains non-negotiable.
The Arctic territory operates as a semiautonomous region under NATO member Denmark, while Trump has repeatedly expressed desires for American control over the island citing security concerns, sparking resistance from both Greenlandic and Danish officials.
“The Greenlandic people are not for sale. Greenlandic self-determination is not something that can be negotiated,” Nielsen stated to Danish TV 2 following his discussion on the island with the special representative, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
Nielsen emphasized that Greenlandic residents “seek good cooperation” with America, describing his “courtesy meeting” with Landry as conducted with “mutual respect and in a positive atmosphere.”
Upon arriving in Greenland Sunday, Landry reportedly indicated that Trump instructed him to “go over there and make as many friends as we can get,” according to public Danish broadcaster DR.
Greenland’s Foreign Minister Múte B. Egede informed media Monday that a collaborative team including America, Greenland, and Denmark remains active in addressing ongoing American requests for territorial control. Trump has claimed Russia or China might attempt to seize Greenland, though regional specialists have rejected this possibility.
“We haven’t been the ones creating obstacles to cooperation between the United States and Greenland,” the Greenlandic foreign minister stated, having also joined the discussion with Landry and his team in Greenland’s capital Nuuk.
“So if we are to continue down this positive and constructive path, we must await the working group’s report,” he explained to TV 2, noting the group’s efforts seem “more promising” than previously.
U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Ken Howery, accompanying the American delegation in Greenland, will officially open the U.S. Consulate’s updated Nuuk facilities, with both he and Landry scheduled to participate in a commercial event Tuesday and Wednesday, local outlets reported.
