Greenland and Denmark reject US envoy appointment as threat to territorial integrity

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated on December 22 that they expect respect for the Kingdom of Denmark's territorial integrity after US President Donald Trump appointed a special envoy to Greenland, DR News reported.

"We have said it very clearly before. Now we say it again," the leaders stated in a joint statement. "One cannot annex other countries. Not even with an argument about international security. Greenland belongs to Greenlanders, and the US shall not take over Greenland."

"We expect respect for our common territorial integrity," they added.

Frederiksen wrote on Instagram that the situation created by a decades-long ally is difficult. "But we will not deviate from our democratic values," she stated.

Greenland's Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote on Facebook that whilst the appointment of a special envoy "can sound big," it "does not change anything for us at home".

"We have our own democracy, our own decisions and a strong community that stands firm. Greenland belongs to Greenlanders and one must respect territorial integrity," Nielsen wrote.

He added that all cooperation, including with the US, must "happen with respect for us and our values and wishes".

Pia Olsen Dyhr, leader of Denmark's Socialist People's Party, wrote on Facebook that Denmark and Greenland "must mobilise all forces" and activate alliances in North America and Europe. "Trump's venture must be made maximally difficult for him," she wrote.

"All illusions about the Arctic as a low-tension area and about old alliances must be shelved. Because this is as serious as it is regrettable," Olsen Dyhr added.