‘We will never, ever be a piece of property’: Greenland’s new PM calls Trump’s threats disrespectful

Greenland’s new prime minister said on Sunday (Apr 27) that the Arctic island would never be a “piece of property” to be bought, criticising US President Donald Trump’s plans of seizing the Danish autonomous territory as lacking respect.

“We will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by anyone, and that's the message I think is most important to understand,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen told reporters alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during his first visit to Denmark since taking office.

Frederiksen visited Greenland in early April when she told the United States, “you cannot annexe another country.”

However, both leaders have said that they would be willing to meet the US president for talks. This comes as the tensions between the US and Denmark have increased after Trump’s repeated mention of the plan to take control of the resource-rich Arctic island.

Trump has insisted that Washington needs Greenland’s territory for security reasons, not ruling out a possible use of force to acquire it.

“I think we need that for international peace, and if we don't have that it'’s a big threat to our world. So I think Greenland is very important for international peace,” Trump told reporters Thursday (Apr 24) during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

“We are in a situation now where we need to stand together. The talk from the United States has not been respectful,” said Nielsen. To which Frederiksen added, “I totally agree with that.”

Nielsen reiterated that Greenland was willing to improve its ties with the US.

“We are ready for a strong partnership, we are ready for more development, but we want respect,” he said. “You cannot have a partner where there is no mutual respect.”

Recently, US Vice President JD Vance visited the island nation in March, a move seen as a provocation by both Nuuk and Copenhagen.

During his visit to the Pituffik US military base, Vance criticised Denmark for not having “done a good job by the people of Greenland.”

“You have under-invested in the people of Greenland and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass,” he said.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen reacted to Vance’s comments by saying, “We are open to criticisms, but let me be completely honest, we do not appreciate the tone in which it's being delivered.”

Nielsen has said that “the United States will not get Greenland”.

“We don’t belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,” he said in a post on Facebook

According to the polls, the majority of the people of Greenland want to become independent from Denmark but don’t wish to become a part of the United States, reported AFP.