'Respectful dialogue': Greenland PM seeks talks with US; welcomes European leaders' solidarity pledge

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen on Tuesday welcomed a pledge of solidarity from European leaders and renewed his call for the United States to engage in a "respectful dialogue" with Greenland through established diplomatic and political channels.

"I will again ask the United States to seek a respectful dialogue. Support by European leaders important at a time when international principles are being challenged," Nielsen said.




He stressed that any talks must respect Greenland’s legal status. "The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland's status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity," he wrote on Facebook.

His remarks came after leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, issued a joint statement rejecting US President Donald Trump’s renewed remarks about a possible American takeover of Greenland.

The leaders said the mineral-rich Arctic island "belongs to its people" and reaffirmed that Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Trump, who first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland has again argued that US control of the island is vital for American military interests, claiming Denmark has not done enough to protect it.

Earlier on Monday, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller brushed aside concerns over Danish sovereignty. "You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else," Miller told CNN.

"But we live in a world, in the real world, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power," Miller added.

Recent US military action in Venezuela has heightened concerns in Greenland and Europe about Washington’s intentions. Greenland has repeatedly said it does not want to be part of the United States.

"Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland," the European leaders said in their statement. They added that security in the Arctic must be ensured collectively with Nato allies, including the US.

"Nato has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up," the statement said. "We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities, and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries.”

The Netherlands also backed the statement, with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof expressing full support.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that threats within the alliance would undermine Nato itself. "No member should attack or threaten another member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation," he said.

Strategic interest in Greenland has intensified amid rising geopolitical tensions, climate change and competition over Arctic trade routes and mineral resources, AFP reported.

Located off Canada’s northeastern coast, with much of its territory inside the Arctic Circle, Greenland has long been central to North American defence and is again at the centre of global security calculations as melting ice opens new routes and fuels rivalry with Russia and China.