Danish PM: NATO chief had no mandate to negotiate Greenland with Trump

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was not empowered to negotiate with US President Donald Trump over the fate of Greenland, reiterating that the island’s sovereignty remains a “red line” for Denmark and its European allies.

Frederiksen’s remarks came during a town hall-style session organized by the Danish Embassy in Berlin and the German Council on Foreign Relations, The New York Times reports.

Frederiksen addressed growing concerns over US intentions in Greenland, a Danish territory that Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring. “I’m trans-Atlantic in my heart,” Frederiksen said. “So I feel a bit sad about how things are developing.” She emphasized that decisions about Greenland’s future, including potential independence, must be left to the Greenlanders themselves.

The prime minister reflected on recent developments in which Trump suggested economic or military measures to claim Greenland, followed by an announcement in Davos of a “framework” agreement over the island with Rutte. She stressed that Rutte had no authority to negotiate sovereignty on Denmark’s behalf and that the longstanding 1951 US-Denmark treaty, while respected, could be reviewed as part of ongoing discussions.

Frederiksen framed the Greenland situation within the broader context of global change. “The old world order is now gone,” she said. She compared Greenland to the Ukraine conflict, arguing, “I have never believed that the war in Ukraine is about Ukraine, it’s about Russia and its imperial dreams…And you have to look at the situation in Greenland with the same eye. This is not about Greenland, this is about how things are changing in the world.”

She called for Europe to bolster its defence independence, advocating rapid increases in military spending and assuming full responsibility for its security by 2030. At the same time, Frederiksen affirmed her hope that the US would remain a reliable ally, though she acknowledged uncertainty. “I don’t know what will happen in the US. I hope that they will stay in our alliance, but I don’t know what will happen.”

Frederiksen also highlighted efforts to establish a permanent NATO presence in the Arctic, including Greenland, and praised continued European unity. Her statements followed meetings with Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, underscoring Denmark’s intent to maintain strong European support amid ongoing Greenland negotiations.

By Vafa Guliyeva