In a joint statement released on Monday, the United States and Greenland pledged to strengthen their bilateral relationship. The commitment came as the newly appointed US Ambassador to Denmark made his first visit to this Danish autonomous territory. Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been drawing increasing international attention due to its critical mineral resources including rare earth elements.
Amid China’s push to develop and utilize the Arctic shipping route and Russia’s efforts to enhance its influence in the region, President Trump has expressed interest in purchasing Greenland. He has emphasized that for economic and national security reasons, US ownership of the island is “absolutely necessary.”
On Monday, the new US Ambassador to Denmark, Kenneth Howery, who is also a co-founder of PayPal, met with Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Danish government representatives in Nuuk, where they attended a joint committee meeting.
The joint committee issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to building a strong and forward-looking relationship based on mutual respect. The statement further mentioned that both the US and Greenland look forward to continuing the positive momentum in the coming year and strengthening ties to support security and prosperity in the Arctic region.
Greenland, strategically located within the Arctic Circle, holds significant geopolitical importance. Washington insists that Greenland is crucial for US security and its ballistic missile early warning system as it represents the shortest route from Europe to North America.
However, Greenland is rich in resources, with thriving fisheries and the discovery of one of the world’s largest rare earth metal deposits. Both the Danish and Greenlandic governments have ruled out the possibility of ceding control of the island to the US.
Motzfeldt previously stated that the US discourse regarding Greenland has caused uncertainty among local residents and stressed the necessity of open dialogue with the United States.
According to the local newspaper “Sermitsiaq,” Motzfeldt emphasized, “Our countries have been cooperating for 80 years based on mutual interests. It is now necessary to rebuild trust so that we can continue our good cooperation.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made it clear that Greenland is seeking to collaborate with democratic countries for the development of critical minerals like rare earths, explicitly excluding communist China.
In an interview with Nikkei on November 19th, Nielsen expressed that Greenland is looking to partner with countries that uphold “good democracy” for the development of rare earth minerals. He hopes to collaborate with Japan, the EU, and the US, excluding China, despite its advantageous position in the development of rare earths and other critical minerals.
（This article is based on a report from Reuters.）