Trump's threats for Greenland/ Frederiksen accuses the US: It has turned its back on NATO

2026-01-11 18:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Trump's threats for Greenland/ Frederiksen accuses the US: It has turned

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Denmark was at a critical juncture amid Donald Trump's threats to take over Greenland, accusing the US of turning its back on NATO. Speaking at a political rally, the Danish prime minister said her country was at a crossroads.

The prime minister's comments come ahead of a crucial week in the increasingly tense relations between Denmark, Greenland and the US, in which the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt, will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"We are at a crossroads and this is a critical moment. What is at stake is greater than meets the eye, because if what we experience from the Americans is that they are actually turning their backs on the Western alliance, that they are turning their backs on our cooperation in NATO by threatening an ally, something we have not experienced before," Frederiksen said.

On Friday, Trump said the US would take action against Greenland.

"We will do something with Greenland, whether in the best way or the hardest way," he said.

His administration has consistently refused to rule out the use of military force - despite the fact that Denmark and Greenland are NATO allies.

Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, along with the leaders of the country's four other political parties, responded by issuing a joint statement.

"We don't want to be Americans, we don't want to be Danish, we want to be Greenlanders. The future of Greenland must be decided by Greenlanders," the statement said.

Meanwhile, at a national people's and defense conference in Sälen, northwest Sweden, the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, spoke in support of neighboring Denmark.

He said the US should thank Denmark for its loyalty, rather than issuing threats against it and Greenland. He also condemned the US attack on Venezuela, saying it violated international law and "risks encouraging more countries to act in a similar manner."

Sweden announced on Sunday that it will invest around 15 billion Swedish kronor (£1.21 billion) in territorial air defence capabilities. /CNA