GreenlandThe Prime Minister declared “we choose Denmark” over the United States, on the eve of Wednesday’s meeting between the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials.
“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark,” Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a press conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday. “We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”
Nielsen appeared alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who said “many signs indicate that the hardest part is ahead of us,” according to AFP.
Vance, who visited Greenland last fall, will host the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers — as well as Rubio — at the White House, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News.
President Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, citing national security reasons.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will take Greenland, and I’m not going to let that happen,” Mr. Trump said on Sunday.
“I would love to make a deal with them. It’s easier,” he added. “But one way or another we will have Greenland.” Rubio downplayed the possibility of military intervention to acquire Greenland.
But the leaders of Denmark and Greenland said Greenland was “not for sale,” leading Trump officials to say the administration was considering all optionsincluding military force.
“One thing should be clear to everyone: Greenland does not want to be part of the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States,” Nielsen said Tuesday.
Denmark has been one of the United States’ staunchest NATO allies for more than 75 years. Frederiksen said of the United States that there was “completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally.”
Senate Democrats and some Republicans have expressed opposition to military action against Greenland. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said on Sunday’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that any military action in Greenland would be “disastrous.” He added that he believed “Congress would stop it, both Democrat and Republican.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul told CBS MorningsLast week he said he would “do everything to stop any form of military takeover of Greenland.” But Paul did not oppose the purchase of Greenland, pointing out that the United States had acquired territories in the past.
The Constitution says that only Congress can declare war, and the The Senate advanced war powers last week resolution aimed at limiting the Trump administration’s ability to carry out further strikes against Venezuela. Five Republicans joined all Democrats in advancing the resolution, indicating a lack of support for any military action in Greenland. Democratic Sen. Reuben Gallego said last week he plans to introduce a measure “to stop Trump from invading Greenland.”
A bipartisan group of House members introduced a bill Monday aimed at preventing military action against NATO members, according to Politico.
Rep. Don Bacon, one of the sponsors of the legislation, said last week that he believed any action in Greenland was wrong.
“They are our allies,” he continued. “You don’t treat your allies that way. I mean, it’s embarrassing. And besides, most Greenlanders want to be Greenlanders. They don’t want to be Americans. They want to be our allies, though, and that creates a lot of anger and hurt among our friends in Europe.”
