Ahead of the White House Trilateral Meeting on the 14th
Joint Press Conference with Danish Prime Minister
U.S. Bipartisan Group Expresses NATO Solidarity
Jens Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Greenland (left), and Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, are holding a press conference on the 13th (local time) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
On the 13th (local time), one day before a meeting at the White House, the Prime Minister of Greenland declared, "If I had to choose, I would rather stay with Denmark than become part of the United States." This statement signaled a firm rejection of U.S. President Donald Trump's territorial ambitions toward Greenland.
Jens Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Greenland, stated at a press conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark, "We are currently facing a geopolitical crisis," adding, "If we had to choose right now between the United States and Denmark, we would choose Denmark."
Prime Minister Frederiksen emphasized, "One thing that is clear to everyone is that Greenland does not want to become the property of the United States, does not want to be ruled by the United States, and does not want to become part of the United States."
President Trump, who succeeded in ousting the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela through an emergency airstrike earlier this year, has continued to make statements suggesting that the United States should acquire Greenland. He has argued that Greenland is essential for U.S. security and has even mentioned the possibility of military action. Since he first expressed interest in purchasing Greenland in 2019 during his first term, Greenland has been unable to let its guard down.
Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, who joined Prime Minister Frederiksen for the press conference, admitted that it is not easy to withstand "the utterly unacceptable pressure from our closest ally," and added, "However, there are many signs that the most difficult part lies ahead of us."
The press conference was held ahead of a trilateral meeting at the White House on the 14th, involving the foreign ministers of the United States, Denmark, and Greenland. Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that the meeting would be chaired by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
In addition to Greenland and Denmark, the sense of crisis has also grown within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The international community, including NATO, is closely watching the outcome of the meeting, expecting that the United States' intentions regarding Greenland will become clearer.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers plans to visit Denmark on the 16th and 17th to express solidarity. Senator Thom Tillis, a senior Republican and co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group, emphasized the significance of the visit, telling Reuters, "I believe it is important for Congress to unite in supporting our allies and respecting the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland."
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