“One thing must everyone understand. Greenland will not be owned by the United States. Greenland will not be governed by the United States. Greenland will not be part of the United States. We choose the Greenland we know today, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark."
These were the words of the chairman of Naalakkersuisut Jens-Frederik Nielsen (D) at the press conference on Tuesday, which was held in the Hall of Mirrors at Christiansborg together with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
The message to the United States should not be misunderstood.
Greenland cannot be bought
After the press conference, Jens-Frederik Nielsen stood up for an interview with KNR and Sermitsiaq in a slightly more informal setting at the Greenland Representation at Islands Brygge. Here he repeated Naalakkersuisut's position:
- Greenland cannot be bought. The Greenlandic people cannot be bought. The right to self-determination is our own. No other countries should try to influence that. And there is complete agreement on that in Naalakkersuisut. And that is the message we bring to the United States.
Asked how he actually feels, this is what Jens-Frederik Nielsen says:
- It is an interesting time, an exciting time. I wouldn't say I feel good. It is challenging. But as I said very clearly at the press conference, we stand together with the Kingdom of Denmark on this issue. It is important to point out that this is absolutely not the time for division over internal affairs.
Unity is needed
That Greenland declares itself as part of the Kingdom in this way does not mean that there cannot continue to be discussions between Greenland and Denmark about equality and self-determination, he assures.
- We have our things between us in the Commonwealth, which we discuss on an ongoing basis. We have a government foundation with a focus on modernizing the commonwealth. We must make the relationship more equal, and we must have more self-determination within the framework. But the fact that we are having these discussions with Denmark does not mean that we are ready to go head-to-head with the USA. We will not gamble with our right to self-determination, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen and adds:
- In relation to what we are going through now, there is a need for unity.
The independence process
Jens-Frederik Nielsen acknowledges that there have been and continue to be discussions about our relationship with Denmark, and that the tone is sometimes harsh.
- We have been harsh in our rhetoric. Others have too. We must renew the relationship with Denmark, but that does not mean that we will hold hands with a completely different country. It is important to include the perspectives. Right now, I think we're hiding our differences because we're on to something much bigger.
Should a lid be put on the talk of independence?
- The time is not right to talk about independence. The time is not to gamble with our right to self-determination when another country is talking about taking us over. This does not mean that we do not want anything in the future. But here and now we are part of the Kingdom, and we stand with the Kingdom. This is extremely important in this serious situation.
A challenging situation
What are your expectations for Wednesday's meeting between Vivian Motzfeldt, Lars Løkke Rasmussen and J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio?
- I expect us to deliver our message, and I have hopes that we can then create a more normalized and more respectful dialogue with the United States.
What if the US does not accept the message that we bring?
- It is a challenging situation. It has been that way all along. There have been no indications that the messages we have brought have been accepted. And this is of course something that makes the situation serious - not only for us, but for the whole world.
How can you reassure the population when the situation is constantly evolving?
- What must reassure us is that we must stand together in our alliances. With NATO, the EU and in the Nordics. And we must believe that the principles of world order will not be broken.
- Because if we first get to the point where the basic principles of a democracy are played with, then we have a big problem not only in Greenland, but in the whole world. This is what should reassure us: Our trust in our alliances and that respect for international law and principles, which have ensured peace in large parts of the world for many years, will be respected.
Preparedness and defense
According to Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Naalakkersuisut will soon give a report on preparedness in Greenland, and he also explains that one must be prepared to see more military in the cities.
- Danish defense has been visibly present for a while now. We have entered into some capacity packages with Denmark, which involve large investments in surveillance and preparedness. We have just held a large NATO exercise, and those exercises are planned all the time, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen and adds:
- Because if you have to defend Greenland, you also have to know Greenland.
