In brief
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has made an official visit to Greenland's capital, Nuuk, to meet with local leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen amid shifting political tensions involving US President Donald Trump. After a week of escalating rhetoric and threats from Trump regarding Greenland, he has since retracted his more aggressive stance, favoring negotiations over military action. Frederiksen emphasized Denmark's commitment to supporting Greenland’s sovereignty and expressed the need for a diplomatic approach moving forward. This visit serves as a crucial step in reinforcing ties and exploring future cooperation amid ongoing discussions over security in the Arctic region.
Danish PM Mette Frederiksen is visiting Greenland's capital Nuuk for talks with the territory's leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, after a rollercoaster week that saw US President Donald Trump roll back his threats to forcibly take over the Arctic island and agree to further negotiations.
Tensions had risen precariously over the past couple of weeks, until a stunning turnaround on Wednesday, when Trump suddenly ruled out military action, and withdrew his threats to slap tariffs on several European allies.
Trump posted on social media that a 'framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland' had been reached, following his meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
However, few details have been given, and there are questions about what exactly was agreed between the US president and the secretary general.
The Danish prime minister travelled directly from Brussels, where she also met face-to-face with Rutte earlier on Friday morning. According to Rutte's post on X, they agreed 'to enhance deterrence and defence in the Arctic'.
After landing at Nuuk airport, Frederiksen was greeted on the tarmac by Nielsen, who gave her a hug.
I am first and foremost in Greenland today to show our strong Danish support for the Greenlandic people, she told reporters. It's a very difficult time, everyone can see that.
It is a serious situation we are in. Everyone can see that. Now there is a diplomatic, political track that we will pursue, she said. Her trip was a 'working' visit to prepare their 'next steps,' she said.
On Thursday, Trump told Fox News that the US 'gets everything we want at no cost' and that a 'piece' of his planned 'Golden Dome' missile defence system would be placed on Greenland.
When asked if this was an actual 'acquisition', he answered: 'It's total access. There's no end, there's no time limit.'
Danish and Greenlandic officials have pushed back strongly against giving up any form of ownership, stating that sovereignty is a 'red line'.
Ahead of an emergency European summit in Belgium, Frederiksen reaffirmed that Greenland's sovereignty was non-negotiable, although Denmark was willing to work on 'security'.
