Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rebukes Trump, says Greenland is ‘not for sale’

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wants President Trump to know that Greenland is “not for sale,” as the U.S. leader revives talk of annexing the Arctic island for security purposes.

Mr. Trump spoke openly late Sunday about bringing Greenland into the American fold after he captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro so he could face trial in the U.S.

Denmark reacted strongly.

“I have to say this very directly to the United States: It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the U.S. to take over Greenland,” Ms. Frederiksen posted on Facebook. “The United States has no access to annex one of the three countries in the Commonwealth.”

Mr. Trump is eyeing Greenland for its untapped mineral wealth and strategic importance as a counterweight to Russia and China, which have built up their presence in the region.

Mr. Trump dispatched Vice President J.D. Vance earlier in his term to visit with the U.S. military in Greenland and build bridges with the island.

Ms. Frederiksen said Denmark, which controls Greenland, is part of NATO and its security guarantee, so the U.S. already has “wide ts access” to the island.

“And we from the Kingdom have invested significantly in the security of the Arctic,” she wrote. “I would, therefore, strongly urge that on the side of the United States, stop the threats against a historically close ally and to another country and another people, who have very clearly stated that they are not for sale.”

Denmark has recently stepped up its investments in the island to keep its inhabitants within its sphere, though Mr. Trump shows no signs of letting up on his aggressive approach to the Western Hemisphere.

Mr. Trump and his team are warning Colombia’s leader and the communist government in Cuba over its actions. He also said the U.S. is “in charge” of Venezuela while it pivots to a new government.

The U.S. president has suggested that he has a responsibility to safeguard the Western Hemisphere, dubbing it the “Don-roe Doctrine” after the early 19th-century policy that established an American sphere of influence over its side of the globe while resisting new European colonialism in the Americas.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has tried to maintain a stable relationship with Mr. Trump, backed the Danish side in the fight over Greenland.

“Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark must decide the future of Greenland and only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark,” he told the BBC.

Mr. Starmer was less definitive when asked recently about the legality of Mr. Trump’s moves in Venezuela, emphasizing that a peaceful transition to democracy is necessary.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, posting on social media, said Greenland is an “integral” part of the Danish kingdom and that “Norway stands in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark.”