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By Katherine Fung
Senior Writer
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Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, told President-elect Donald Trump that Greenland's independence would be up to the Danish self-governing territory.
Frederiksen and Trump spoke over the phone on Wednesday, according to a press release from the prime minister's office. In the conversation, Frederiksen "argued that it is up to Greenland itself to make a decision on independence" while acknowledging that Greenland's prime minister, Múte Egede, has said it is not for sale.
Newsweek reached out by email to Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung for comment.
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Why This Matters
Since winning the election, Trump has repeatedly declared that controlling Greenland is necessary for U.S. national security. He floated the idea of buying the world's largest island during his first term. But he has signaled that he's even more determined this time around, refusing to rule out military force to take control of the long-standing NATO ally.
What To Know
During Frederiksen's Wednesday call with Trump, the prime minister emphasized the importance of strengthening security in the Arctic and the economic contributions that Danish companies make to U.S. jobs and growth. The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and relationships with China.
According to Frederiksen's office, the conversation lasted 45 minutes.
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Although Egede made it clear during a Sunday news conference that Greenland did not want to become part of America, he said, "The reality is we are going to work with the U.S.—yesterday, today and tomorrow."
He continued, "We have to be very smart on how we act," according to The New York Times. "The power struggles between the superpowers are rising and are now knocking on our door."
Meanwhile, Trump's Republican allies in the House have begun clearing the way for the president-elect to make good on his Greenland vow. On Monday, GOP Representative Andy Ogles introduced the Make Greenland Great Again Act, which would authorize Trump to enter into negotiations with Denmark over purchasing Greenland.
Despite these efforts, more than half of U.S. voters don't support a U.S. acquisition of Greenland. A Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Wednesday found that 53 percent of likely voters oppose the idea. Another 29 percent of likely voters said it's a good idea but don't think it could realistically happen.
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social last month: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity."
Múte Egede said at a Friday press conference: "Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American. We want to be Greenlandic."
The bill text of Make Greenland Great Again Act states: "Not later than 5 calendar days after reaching an agreement with the Kingdom of Denmark relating to the acquisition of Greenland by the United States, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees the agreement, including all related materials and annexes."
Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Denmark's foreign affairs minister, said during a Monday press conference: "I don't want to get into any dispute with the incoming President Trump. He has a certain specific way to formulate requests, and what we are doing right now is getting into a more detailed dialogue with the incoming president."
What's Next
Frederiksen's office said that "the Prime Minister and the incoming President have agreed to continue the dialogue."
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