Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said Thursday that he was unaware of the details of a framework agreement regarding the Danish autonomous territory, which US President Donald Trump announced following a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte. He emphasized that no deal could be made without Greenland’s involvement.
“Nobody other than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark has the mandate to make agreements concerning Greenland,” Nielsen said at a press conference. “We have red lines. Our territorial integrity, international law, and sovereignty must be respected.”
The announcement came after Trump reportedly backed down on earlier threats to seize Greenland by force, stating that a “framework” deal had been reached. However, details of the agreement, discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, remain limited.
Nielsen expressed relief that the use of force was off the table but reiterated that he had not been part of the discussions and was unaware of the deal’s contents. A source familiar with the talks told AFP that the agreement included plans for the United States and Denmark to renegotiate a 1951 defense pact concerning Greenland. Discussions about placing US military bases under American sovereignty were not part of the talks.
Earlier, Greenland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mute Egede, criticized the announcement on social media, calling it “unacceptable to attempt to hand our land to others.”
Nielsen concluded by reaffirming Greenland’s alignment with Denmark, the EU, and NATO, saying, “If we have to choose, we choose the Kingdom of Denmark, we choose the EU, we choose NATO.”
