"One thing everyone must 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 the Greenland Government Jens-Frederik Nielsen (D) at the press conference on Tuesday, which was held in the Mirror Hall at Christiansborg Palace 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 agreed to an interview with KNR and Sermitsiaq in a slightly more informal setting at the Greenlandic Representation at Islands Brygge. Here he reiterated the position of Naalakkersuisut:
– Greenland cannot be bought. The Greenlandic people cannot be bought. The right to self-determination is our own. Other countries should not try to influence that. And there is complete agreement on that in Naalakkersuisut. And that is the message we have with the USA.
When asked how he actually feels, Jens-Frederik Nielsen says:
– It is an interesting time, an exciting time. I would not say that I am feeling 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 matters.
Unity is needed.
The fact 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 continuously. 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 toe-to-toe 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, unity is needed.
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 tough in our rhetoric. Others have been tough too. We need to renew our relationship with Denmark, but that doesn't mean we want to hold hands with a completely different country. It's important to include the perspectives. Right now, I think we're hiding our disagreements because we're working on something much bigger.
Should we put a lid on the talk of independence?
– This is not the time to talk about independence. This is not the time 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 something 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 that we will 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 United States does not accept the message that we are bringing?
– It is a challenging situation. It has been that way all along. There have been no indications that the messages we have been sending have been accepted. And that 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 Nordic countries. And we must believe that the principles of the world order will not be broken.
- Because if we only get to the point where the basic principles of a democracy are being played with, then we have a big problem not only in Greenland, but in the whole world. That is what should reassure us: Our trust in our alliances and that respect for international law and principles that have ensured peace in large parts of the world for many years will be observed.
Emergency preparedness and defense
According to Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Greenlandic Government will soon issue a statement on preparedness in Greenland, and he also explains that one should be prepared to see more military presence in the cities.
– Danish defense has been visibly present for some time now. We have entered into some capacity packages with Denmark, which involve major investments in surveillance and preparedness. We have just held a major NATO exercise, and those exercises are being planned all the time, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen and adds: – Because if you are going to defend Greenland, you also have to know Greenland.
