Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has said that given a choice between the United States and Denmark "here and now", they would choose Denmark.
"We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, then we choose Denmark. We choose the Greenland we know today, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark," Nielsen said at a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.
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Trump reacts
However, this statement by Nielsem has not gone down well with UD President Donald Trump who warned that "it could create a big problem" for the former.
When asked what he thought of Nielsen's comments, Trump said, "That's their problem, I disagree with him... That's going to be a big problem for him."
Trump has often claimed that Greenland is crucial to US national security. He asserted, without evidence, that it was "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place".
The US already has over 100 military personnel permanently based at its Pituffik facility in Greenland's north-western tip. The US has operated this base since World War II.
Under current agreements with Denmark, the US can bring as many troops as it wishes to Greenland.
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But Trump told reporters in Washington last week that a lease agreement was not good enough. The US "had to have ownership" and "Nato's got to understand that".
"Unacceptable pressure from..."
At the joint press conference in the Danish capital, Frederiksen condemned the "completely unacceptable pressure from our closest ally" and warned that "there are many indications that the most challenging part is ahead of us".
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called it a "geopolitical crisis" and said, "One thing must be clear to everyone. Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States."
