NUUK, Greenland (AP) 鈥 Denmark's prime minister has told the U.S. during a visit to Greenland that 鈥測ou cannot annex another country,鈥 even with the argument that international security is at stake.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said on Friday that Washington will respect Greenland's self-determination and Copenhagen 鈥渟hould focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don鈥檛 want to be a part of Denmark.鈥
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was wrapping up a three-day visit to the on Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks control of Greenland. He argues that Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, is critical to U.S. security.
A week ago, Vice President JD Vance visited a remote in Greenland and in the territory.
Frederiksen pushed back against the U.S. criticism as she spoke on Thursday alongside Greenland's incoming and outgoing leaders on board a Danish naval ship. She argued that Denmark, a NATO ally, has been a reliable friend.
Speaking in English, she said that 鈥渋f we let ourselves be divided as allies, then we do our foes a favor. And I will do everything that I can to prevent that from happening.鈥
鈥淲hen you ask our businesses to invest in the U.S., they do. When you ask us to spend more on our defense, we do; and when you ask of us to strengthen security in the Arctic, we are on the same page,鈥 she said.
鈥淏ut when you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark鈥檚 territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in about the country that we have admired for so many years?鈥
鈥淭his is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations: you cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about international security,鈥 Frederiksen said.
The Danish leader said that, if the U.S. wants to strengthen security in the Arctic, 鈥渓et us do so together.鈥
Political parties in Greenland, which has been leaning toward eventual independence from Denmark for years, last week agreed to form a broad-based in the face of Trump's designs on the territory. Those have angered many in Greenland and Denmark.
In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Vance repeated the accusation that Denmark has 鈥渞eally underinvested in the infrastructure and security of Greenland.鈥
He said Trump's point is that 鈥渢his matters to our security, this matters to our missile defense, and we're going to protect America's interests come hell or high water.鈥
Danish Foreign Minister Lars L酶kke Rasmussen, who was attending a meeting in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, wrote on social network X that he had an 鈥渉onest and direct鈥 meeting Thursday with Rubio.
鈥淚 made it crystal clear that claims and statements about annexing Greenland are not only unacceptable and disrespectful,鈥 L酶kke Rasmussen wrote. 鈥淭hey amount to a violation of international law.鈥
Rubio told reporters in Brussels Friday that 鈥渘o one's annexed anything.鈥 He added that Vance has made clear that 鈥渉e's going to respect the self-determination of Greenlanders.鈥
鈥淒enmark should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don鈥檛 want to be a part of Denmark," Rubio said.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 give them that idea. They鈥檝e been talking about that for a long time,鈥 he said. "Whenever they make that decision, they鈥檒l make that decision.鈥
鈥淚f they make that decision, then the United States would stand ready, potentially, to step in and say, okay, we can create a partnership with you," Rubio said, adding that "we鈥檙e not at that stage.鈥
