NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen arrived in Greenland on Wednesday for a three-day trip aimed at building the trust of Greenlandic officials at a time when the Trump administration seeks to control the vast Arctic territory.
The Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, announced her plans to visit after the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, visited a US airbase in Greenland last week and accused Denmark of not investing enough in the territory.
What is the United States’ interest in Greenland?
Greenland is an island rich in minerals and of strategic importance that is becoming more accessible due to climate change. Trump has said that the landmass is critical for the security of the United States. It is part of North America, but is a semi-autonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark.
Frederiksen will meet with the incoming Greenlandic leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, after elections last month produced a new government. She will also meet with the future Naalakkersuisut, the cabinet, during a visit that will extend until Friday.
In the agenda are the conversations with Nielsen about the cooperation between Greenland and Denmark.
For years, the people of Greenland, with a population of approximately 57,000, have been moving towards an eventual independence from Denmark.
The threats from the Trump administration to take control of the island in one way or another, possibly even with military force, have angered many in Greenland and Denmark, a U.S. ally. The incoming government wants to take a slower approach to the issue of eventual independence.
The political group in Greenland most aligned with the President of the United States, the Naleraq party that advocates for a quick path to independence, was excluded from coalition talks to form the next government.