COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Greenland’s leader will meet the Danish king in Copenhagen on Wednesday, after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted to take control of the Arctic island, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said on Tuesday he would not rule out using military or economic action to make Greenland part of the United States. The same day, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., made a private visit to Greenland.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede, leader of a left-wing political party that supports future independence from Denmark, arrived in Copenhagen late on Tuesday on a scheduled trip.
He had announced before his departure that a meeting with Denmark’s King Frederik scheduled for Wednesday had been postponed without explanation, but the Danish royal court said the meeting would take place, giving no further details.
Greenland, with a population of 57,000, has been part of Denmark for 600 years and now controls most of its own domestic affairs as a semi-sovereign territory under the Danish realm. Its relations with Denmark have lately been strained over allegations of historic mistreatment of Greenlanders under colonial rule.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that she could not imagine Trump’s ambitions would lead to U.S. military intervention in Greenland.
Denmark is responsible for the security and defence of Greenland, but its military capabilities there are limited to four inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane, and dog sled patrols.
Responding to Trump’s threat of tariffs against Denmark, Frederiksen said she did not think a trade war with the United States was a good way forward. Denmark is home to Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), Europe’s most valuable company, which makes weight-loss drug Wegovy that has become hugely popular in the United States.
Still, Trump’s openly stated ambition to expand U.S. control of territory has jolted allies less than two weeks before he takes power.
“There is obviously no question that the European Union would let other nations of the world attack its sovereign borders, whoever they are,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio. “We are a strong continent.”
Greenland leader Egede has stated that the island is not for sale, while in his New Year speech he stepped up his push for independence from Denmark. Denmark also says the territory is not for sale, and that its fate can be decided only by Greenlanders.
In 2019, Trump cancelled a planned visit to Denmark after Prime Minister Frederiksen rebuffed his idea of the U.S. purchasing Greenland.