The leaders of five parties represented in Greenland’s parliament said late Friday that they rejected being governed either by the United States or by Denmark…reports Asian Lite News
Greenland’s political leaders have issued a rare show of unity after renewed remarks by Donald Trump suggesting the United States could use force to bring the vast Arctic territory under Washington’s control. The comments have triggered alarm across Europe and prompted Greenland’s parties to reaffirm their determination to decide their own future.
According to Arab News, the leaders of five parties represented in Greenland’s parliament said late Friday that they rejected being governed either by the United States or by Denmark. In a joint statement, they stressed that Greenland’s political destiny must remain firmly in the hands of Greenlanders themselves.
“We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders,” the party leaders said, underlining that no external power had the right to interfere in decisions about the island’s future. They added that Greenland must be free to make choices without pressure, haste or outside influence.
The statement followed Trump’s remarks that Washington was “going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not,” comments that have intensified diplomatic unease in European capitals. The White House had earlier confirmed that Trump wanted to acquire Greenland and had declined to rule out the use of military force, prompting urgent discussions among European governments over how to respond.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, and Copenhagen reacted with shock to the renewed rhetoric. Danish officials, backed by several European allies, warned that any move against Greenland would represent a serious breach of international norms. Denmark has been a long-standing US ally, including during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, making the episode particularly sensitive.
Trump has defended his stance by framing Greenland as a national security priority. The island sits between North America and the Arctic and has hosted a US military presence since the Second World War. The president argued that growing military activity by Russia and China in the Arctic made American control essential.
“We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland,” Trump said, adding that the United States would act “either the nice way or the more difficult way.” While both Moscow and Beijing have increased their Arctic engagement in recent years, neither has made territorial claims over Greenland.
Beyond its strategic location, Greenland has drawn global interest because of its vast natural wealth. The territory is believed to hold significant reserves of rare earth minerals, as well as potentially large oil and gas deposits, resources that have become increasingly important amid global supply chain concerns.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that any invasion of Greenland would effectively destroy the transatlantic security framework built after World War II, including NATO’s collective defence commitments. Trump, however, sought to downplay Danish concerns, joking that historical claims did not amount to ownership.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet Danish and Greenlandic officials next week as part of efforts to calm tensions. A military confrontation would pit Washington against Denmark, another NATO member, and risk fracturing the alliance.
Despite the rhetoric, NATO’s senior commander in Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, said there was no immediate crisis. He insisted the alliance remained ready to defend all member territory.
As Arab News notes, the episode marks a volatile moment in Arctic geopolitics, with Greenland’s leaders making clear that their island is not for sale—and that its future will be decided at home, not abroad.
