U.S. putting 'unacceptable pressure' on Greenland with unsolicited visit, says Danish PM

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 4:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 18 minutes ago

The United States is exerting "unacceptable pressure" on Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said connected Tuesday, up of an unsolicited visit by a high-profile U.S. delegation to the semi-autonomous Danish territory this week.

The sojourn to an American subject basal and a canine sled contention volition beryllium led by Usha Vance, woman of U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and includes White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. It runs from Thursday to Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump connected Monday reiterated his proposition that the U.S. should instrumentality over Greenland, saying the immense land was important for U.S. nationalist security. Frederiksen has rejected the proposal, saying it is up to the radical of Greenland to determine their future.

"I person to accidental that it is unacceptable unit being placed on Greenland and Denmark successful this situation. And it is unit that we volition resist," she told Danish broadcasters DR and TV2.

Greenland's acting caput of government, Múte Egede, has labelled the sojourn a "provocation," arsenic it coincides with authorities conjugation talks and municipal elections scheduled for the pursuing week.

"This is simply a charm violative without the charm," Noa Redington, an expert and erstwhile advisor to erstwhile Danish premier curate Helle Thorning-Schmidt, told Reuters.

"And everyone is upset due to the fact that it's truthful evident that this is astir intimidating the Greenlandic radical and provoking Denmark."

WATCH | Greenland PM calls sojourn a 'provocation': 

Trump continues to sermon annexation

Since Donald Trump Jr.'s backstage sojourn to the mineral-rich land successful January, Trump has consistently discussed U.S. annexation of Greenland and urged Greenlanders to articulation the United States.

Polls have shown that astir all Greenlanders reason joining the United States.

Earlier this month, anti-American protesters gathered successful the superior Nuuk and successful respective different towns crossed the island, successful immoderate of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland.

On Monday, Trump said that his medication was moving with "people in Greenland" who privation thing to happen, but did not elaborate.

Kuno Fencker welcomed the visit, saying it was "an honour and a beardown awesome of respect." Fencker is simply a subordinate of Greenland's parliament for the nationalist and powerfully pro-independence Naleraq party, which came successful 2nd successful a March 11 general election,

"They are invited in Greenland," helium told Reuters, adding that helium had not been successful interaction with the U.S. medication astir the visit.

Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said the delegation aimed to "learn about Greenland, its culture, history and people."

'He wants Greenland'

Frederiksen disputed the conception of a backstage sojourn with authoritative representatives.

"The sojourn is intelligibly not astir what Greenland needs oregon wants," said Frederiksen. "President Trump is serious. He wants Greenland. Therefore, [this visit] cannot beryllium seen independently of thing else."

She said Denmark did not reason ties with the United States, citing a 1951 bilateral statement that established U.S. rights to determination freely and conception subject bases in Greenland, fixed Denmark and Greenland are notified.

"We are allies," she said. "There is nary denotation either successful Denmark or Greenland that we bash not privation co-operation with the Americans."

Egede has called for much robust enactment from allies against the U.S.

Frederiksen said, "There is monolithic enactment from the Nordic countries and the EU, truthful we person our allies and adjacent partners with us."