Danish PM Mette Frederiksen in Greenland for ‘show of support’

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen is visiting Greenland’s capital Nuuk for talks with the territory’s leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, after a rollercoaster week that saw US President Donald Trump roll back his threats to forcibly take over the Arctic island and agree to further negotiations.

Tensions had risen precariously over the past couple of weeks, until a stunning turnaround on Wednesday, when Trump suddenly ruled out military action, and withdrew his threats to slap tariffs on several European allies.

Trump posted on social media that a “framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland” had been reached, following his meeting with Nato chief Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

However, few details have been given, and there are questions about what exactly was agreed between the US president and the secretary general.

The Danish prime minister travelled directly from Brussels, where she also met face-to-face with Rutte earlier on Friday morning. According to Rutte’s post on X, they agreed “to enhance deterrence and defence in the Arctic”.

After landing at Nuuk airport, Frederiksen was greeted on the tarmac by Nielsen, who gave her a hug.

“I am first and foremost in Greenland today to show our strong Danish support for the Greenlandic people,” she told reporters. “It’s a very difficult time, everyone can see that.”

“It is a serious situation we are in. Everyone can see that. Now there is a diplomatic, political track that we will pursue,” she said. Her trip was a “working” visit to prepare their “next steps,” she said.

On Thursday, Trump told Fox News that the US “gets everything we want at no cost” and that a “piece” of his planned “Golden Dome” missile defence system would be placed on Greenland.

When asked if this was an actual “acquisition”, he answered: “It’s total access. There’s no end, there’s no time limit.”

Previously the New York Times reported that one idea under discussion was Denmark ceding sovereignty over small pockets of land where the US would build military bases.

Danish and Greenlandic officials have pushed back strongly against giving up any form of ownership, and repeatedly stated that sovereignty is a “red line”.

Ahead of an emergency European summit in the Belgian capital on Thursday evening, Frederiksen said that Greenland’s sovereignty was non-negotiable, though Denmark was willing to work on “security”.

The US has around 150 military personnel at its single Pituffik base in the north-western tip of the territory.

Under a defence pact with Denmark, dating back to 1951, the US can already build up its military presence and deploy further troops.

That was updated in 2004, jointly with the Bush administration, to include Greenland as an equal partner to the deal.

AFP has reported that sources familiar with talks had said the US and Denmark would renegotiate the 1951 agreement.

Danish national newspaper Berlingske also writes that a renegotiation is possible, that the Danish and Greenlandic sides have not ruled out revising that deal. However, mineral rights or the surrender of territory have never been on the table.

The BBC has reached out to Denmark’s Ministry of Defence, which declined to comment.

Meanwhile Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Friday there had been no detailed plan, but that negotiations would start soon, focusing on “security, security, and security”.