Greenland chooses Denmark over US, island's PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen says

[ad_1] Greenland's prime minister has stated his individuals would select Denmark over the US in the event that they had been requested to make such a selection "right here and now".

Jens-Frederik Nielsen's comment at a joint information convention with Denmark's prime minister is the strongest by a consultant of the semi-autonomous Danish territory since US President Donald Trump renewed his plan to annex it.

Trump says the US must "personal" Greenland to defend in opposition to Russia and China. The White Home has prompt shopping for the island, however not dominated out the usage of power to annex it.

Denmark is a fellow Nato member and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that navy power would spell the top of the trans-Atlantic defence alliance.

Requested in a while Tuesday what he manufactured from Nielsen's feedback, Trump stated: "That is their downside, I disagree with him... That is going to be a giant downside for him."

Regardless of being probably the most sparsely populated territory, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it nicely positioned for early warning techniques within the occasion of missile assaults, and for monitoring vessels within the area.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland is important to US nationwide safety, claiming with out proof that it was "coated with Russian and Chinese language ships far and wide".

The US already has greater than 100 navy personnel completely stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip - a facility that has been operated by the US since World Warfare Two.

Underneath current agreements with Denmark, the US has the ability to deliver as many troops because it desires to Greenland.

However Trump instructed reporters in Washington final week {that a} lease settlement was not adequate - the US "needed to have possession" and "Nato's acquired to grasp that".

On the information convention within the Danish capital Copenhagen, Frederiksen didn't mince her phrases as she condemned the "utterly unacceptable strain from our closest ally".

She warned that "there are lots of indications that probably the most difficult half is forward of us".

The Greenlandic prime minister stated they had been "going through a geopolitical disaster", however the island's place was clear:

"If we have now to decide on between the USA and Denmark right here and now, we select Denmark," he stated.

"One factor should be clear to everybody. Greenland doesn't wish to be owned by the USA. Greenland doesn't wish to be ruled by the USA. Greenland doesn't wish to be a part of the USA."

The Copenhagen information convention comes a day earlier than the Danish Overseas Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt are because of journey to the US to fulfill Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Denmark's Nato allies - main European nations in addition to Canada - have rallied to its help this week with statements reaffirming that "solely Denmark and Greenland can resolve on issues regarding their relations".

Stressing they had been as eager because the US on Arctic safety, they've stated this should be achieved by allies, together with the US, "collectively".

In addition they known as for "upholding the ideas of the UN Constitution, together with sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders".

Considerations over the way forward for the territory resurfaced after Trump's use of navy power in opposition to Venezuela on Saturday to grab its president, Nicolás Maduro.

Trump beforehand made a proposal to purchase the island in 2019, throughout his first presidential time period, solely to be instructed it was not on the market.

Lately, there was elevated curiosity in Greenland's pure sources - together with uncommon earth minerals, uranium and iron - which have gotten simpler to entry as its ice melts because of local weather change. Scientists assume it might even have vital oil and fuel reserves.