Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen drew a disturbing parallel between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump’s attempt to acquire Greenland.
“You cannot annex another country,” said Frederiksen. “Not even with an argument about international security.”
Although she didn’t use Russia by name, the remark appeared to reference Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and then its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Denmark’s leader questioned her nation’s future relationship with the U.S., sounding exasperated at Trump’s attempted land grab.
“When you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark’s territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in about the country that we have admired for so many years?” she asked.
“This is not only about Greenland or Denmark,” she added. “This is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over the generations.
“If you want to strengthen security in the Arctic, as we would like, let’s do it together,” she said in a message to Trump.
She was speaking on board an inspection ship in front of a military helicopter at a press conference in Greenland with Jens-Frederik Nielsen, prime minister of the semi-autonomous island.
“We do not belong to others,” Nielsen added.
Although Greenland has just 56,000 residents, its strategic position in the Arctic and its mineral reserves are prized by the U.S. president.
In a radio interview last week, Trump insisted: “We have to have it.”
Last week, Vice President JD Vance chided Denmark for not taking care of Greenland on a visit during which he doubled down on the president’s stated intention to take over the country.
