If it must choose, Greenland chooses Denmark, reiterates premier ahead of talks with US

If it has to decide between the US and Denmark, Greenland chooses Denmark, the premier of the semi-autonomous Danish territory said Tuesday ahead of key talks with US officials.

Speaking at a joint news conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen, Jens-Frederik Nielsen reiterated Greenland's position that it has firmly rejected any suggestion of becoming part of the US.

"We are a democratic society that makes our own decisions ... Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States, and Greenland will not be governed from Washington," he said.

Joining Nielsen, the Danish prime minister noted that Denmark and Greenland stand together as "we come together, we stay together, and we leave together."

Reiterating that borders cannot be changed by force and that smaller nations must not fear larger ones, Frederiksen noted that Denmark has been a reliable US ally for decades and continues to meet its responsibilities within NATO.

The pair's remarks came a day before senior Danish and Greenlandic officials are due to meet US officials in Washington.

According to reports, the meeting will take place on Wednesday with the attendance of Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt as well as US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources, but Trump's insistence on acquiring the island-including his refusal to rule out military force to do so-has attracted condemnation worldwide.

Trump-who first gained fame as a real estate developer-has described owning Greenland as an "absolute necessity" for US economic security, comparing it to a "large real estate deal."

Both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.

Meanwhile, some European nations, including the UK, are in discussions to possibly deploy troops to the autonomous Danish territory, in a bid to ease Trump's security fears.