On Monday, February 3, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen firmly stated that Greenland is not for sale and urged the European Union to respond strongly to the United States. However, she acknowledged the U.S. viewpoint on the national security threat posed by China and promised to strengthen security defense in the Arctic region.
President Trump’s remarks about the possibility of using military or economic measures to take over Greenland have sparked global attention. Frederiksen admitted that the U.S. concerns about security in the Arctic region are valid, citing increased activity by China and Russia in the area.
According to the Associated Press, Frederiksen said, “I completely agree with the U.S. viewpoint that the Arctic region is becoming increasingly important in defense, security, and deterrence.”
She added that the U.S. and Denmark could “enhance influence” in terms of security arrangements in Greenland.
Last week, the Danish government reached a 14.6 billion Danish krone (almost 2 billion U.S. dollars) agreement with various parties, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands governments, to enhance surveillance capabilities in the region and uphold sovereignty.
The Danish Ministry of Defense stated that this includes three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones, and upgrades to satellite capabilities.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed support for President Trump’s viewpoint on Greenland, especially in defense matters, stating that “Trump is right.”
Rutte also urged the Danish Prime Minister to “begin negotiations immediately with President Trump,” stressing the importance of defense in the Far North region, including not only Greenland but also Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Canada.
At the same time, Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede has consistently expressed a desire for independence, not wanting to become American and wanting to break free from Danish control.
On Monday, the Greenlandic government proposed an emergency parliamentary bill on the grounds of protecting geopolitical interests, planning to fully ban political parties in the autonomous territory from accepting donations from foreign and anonymous individuals. The bill also implements a recommendation from the Council of Europe on setting limits on private donations in political activities.
According to the Financial Times, this ban proposal is the first concrete action taken by the Greenlandic government in response to Trump’s remarks.
The proposal specifies that the ban applies to members and candidates of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) and the Greenlandic Parliament (Inatsisartut), as well as candidates participating in upcoming Danish Parliament or Greenlandic Parliament elections.
Greenland is set to hold elections on April 6, with the government warning that donations that may be insignificant elsewhere could represent “huge” amounts for the island’s population of just 57,000.
The government stated that foreign or anonymous donations “could profoundly distort the engagement opportunities of Greenlandic political parties in election campaigns.”
The proposal stipulates that the total amount of private donations a single party can receive per year must not exceed 200,000 Danish krone (approximately $28,500), and individual donors cannot donate more than 20,000 Danish krone ($2,850).
As global warming and melting ice caps extend the navigation time of the Arctic route, its importance is becoming increasingly prominent.
On January 30, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated on the American talk show “The Megyn Kelly Show” that the Arctic will become a critical region for maritime routes. China is seeking a passage through the Arctic and may make progress in Greenland through state-owned enterprises, requiring the U.S. to have the ability to defend this region.