Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday cautioned that President Donald Trump's long-standing interest in acquiring Greenland may not have faded, telling members of parliament it's too soon to "breathe a sigh of relief."
Frederiksen made the comments in her address to open the Danish parliament. Trump last publicly discussed Greenland in March, telling reporters the U.S. will "go as far as we have to go" to get control of the Arctic island and self-ruling Danish territory.
"Right now it seems far away. There is perhaps a feeling that we can breathe a sigh of relief," Frederiksen told MPs. "It is my belief that we cannot."
She added, "And I must say that they don't feel that way in Greenland. Imagine what it's like to live in one of the small settlements along the coast. A small community. Far away from everything.
"When the world's strongest superpower has spoken of you as something you can buy, as something you can own, as something you have to have, it creates an insecurity that doesn't just disappear," Frederiksen said.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly revived interest in acquiring Greenland as a U.S. territory, calling it a strategic necessity for national security. In early 2025, he declined to rule out military or economic coercion and said the U.S. "needs Greenland very badly."
In March, Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland, including the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, and echoed the administration's message: "We have to have it," asserting the U.S. can't ignore the island's strategic significance.
Denmark has firmly rejected the idea, insisting Greenland is not for sale. Meanwhile, the U.S. has floated legislative efforts, such as a "Make Greenland Great Again" Act, to authorize talks.
Trump's renewed Greenland gambit underscores its importance for Arctic influence, resources, and military positioning.
"And no matter what happens, we support Greenland in determining their own future," Frederiksen said. "And we will not be threatened or intimidated into doing something that is obviously wrong."
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen is set to address the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Politico reported.
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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