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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Donald Trump that Greenland decides its own future.
The US president-elect caused a stir in Copenhagen and Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, last week when he said the US wanted to buy the huge Arctic island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.
During a 45-minute phone call on Wednesday, Frederiksen told Trump that Denmark is ready to step up its responsibility for security in the Arctic.
She also echoed the statements of Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede, who recently said that Greenland is not for sale.
Trump has not responded to the call publicly. However, he published a 2019 poll on his TruthSocial account that found 68% of Greenlanders support independence from Denmark.
An independence referendum is believed to be imminent and Denmark has said it respects any outcome.
When he was the last president, Trump said he wanted to buy Greenland. When Frederiksen called the offer “absurd”, he abruptly canceled the trip to Denmark.
The Danish government said that in the phone conversation with Trump, Frederiksen also stressed that “Danish companies contribute to growth and jobs in the US, and that the EU and the US have a common interest in strengthening trade.”
Last week, Trump threatened Denmark with high tariffs if the country did not give up Greenland.
The proposal has raised alarm among Danish industry leaders, as the US is Denmark’s second-largest export market and any targeted tariffs would have a significant impact on the Danish economy.
On Thursday, Frederiksen will hold what Danish media called a “crisis meeting” with business leaders, including the CEOs of beer giant Carlsberg and drugmaker Novo Nordisk, which makes popular US obesity and diabetes drugs.
She should also hold an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Policy Council with members of parliament.
A member of Greenland’s parliament, Aja Chemnitz, said she was satisfied with Frederiksen’s line that any decision about Greenland should be made by Greenlanders.
“I have a lot of confidence in the prime minister’s task, and I also have a lot of confidence in Egede. I think it’s important that they have a close dialogue,” she said.
Earlier this week, Egede said his government was ready to open a dialogue with the incoming Trump administration.
But opposition MP Rasmus Jarlau said he did not approve of Frederiksen’s approach.
Writing on X, he said: “It is completely unacceptable that (Frederiksen) renounces Denmark’s rights in Greenland and gives sovereignty solely to self-government (of Greenland) while talking to the President of the United States.”
Trump’s comments and his son’s visit to Greenland last week caused great concern in Denmark. Faced with the prospect of angering what she has repeatedly called “Denmark’s closest ally”, Frederiksen measured her words, stressing Greenland’s right to self-determination.
Hans Roeder, TV2’s political editor, said the fact that Trump spent 45 minutes on the phone with Frederiksen showed that “this Greenland thing is really on Trump’s mind – it’s not just a passing thought.”
