Greenland leader to meet Danish officials as tensions with Trump rise
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The freshly elected prime minister of Greenland is set to travel to Denmark to discuss cooperation between the two as US President Donald Trump continues to push his wishes of annexing the autonomous territory.
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Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Demokraatit party, participates in a TV debate before the elections in Nuuk, Greenland, March 8, 2025. (AP)
Greenland's newly elected prime minister is set to embark on his first official visit to Denmark starting Sunday, while US President Donald Trump continues to eye the Danish autonomous territory.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who heads Greenland's new coalition government following his center-right Democrats party's victory in March's parliamentary elections, will make his first official trip to Denmark since assuming office.
"First and foremost, I will resume discussions with the Prime Minister about the geopolitical situation and cooperation," Nielsen stated this week, adding, "It is important that we make plans for our future cooperation in these times."
The Danish government, in a statement announcing the visit, emphasized that strengthening cooperation between Greenland and Denmark would be central to Nielsen's discussions, with outgoing Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen highlighting the need for mutual support amid the challenging foreign policy circumstances currently facing both Greenland and the wider Kingdom.
During his two-day visit to Copenhagen, Nielsen is also scheduled to meet with Denmark's King Frederik as well as hold discussions with representatives of the Danish parliament.
In a separate announcement, Denmark's Royal House revealed that following their meeting in Copenhagen, King Frederik would join Nielsen on a reciprocal visit to the Arctic island of Greenland.
Greenland PM rejects US annexation
Nielsen had declared on March 30 that the island would remain beyond Washington's control.
"President Trump says that the United States is getting Greenland. Let me be clear: The United States won't get that. We do not belong to anyone else. We determine our own future," Nielsen wrote on social media.
Greenland’s center-right opposition party, which famously told US President Donald Trump that the country was "not for sale," won the country’s parliamentary elections on Wednesday, according to official results.
The Demokraatit party secured 29.9% of the vote, stripping the center-left's ruling coalition of its majority and positioning itself as a decisive force in Greenland’s political future.
Demokraatit, which advocates for a gradual path to independence from Denmark, saw a significant rise in support, up from 9.1% in the previous election. The party outperformed the nationalist Naleraq party, which favors a swift break from Danish rule.
