Media: Denmark tries to convince US it is not interested in selling Greenland

Officials from Denmark and Greenland met with U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week to make clear that Greenland is not for sale, amid renewed threats from President Donald Trump to acquire the strategically located territory.

Danish Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen and Jacob Isbosethsen, head of Greenland’s representation in Washington, held meetings with a bipartisan group of senators and House members, including Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The meetings aimed to stress Greenland’s opposition to any sale while maintaining open dialogue on security issues, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“[They] expressed an openness to discuss any measure that would enhance the security of the United States, while respecting the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Rep. Mike Flood (R-Neb.) said. He added that the meeting left him “confident that Secretary of State Marco Rubio can navigate a diplomatic win-win solution with one of our finest allies.”

However, other lawmakers noted a firm stance from the Danish and Greenlandic officials. “I think it’s been made clear from our Danish friends and from our friends in Greenland that that future does not include a negotiation,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) told reporters. “There’s no willingness on their part to negotiate for the purchase or the change in title to their land… That’s their prerogative and their right.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) added: “There’s no reason for a negotiation around who controls Greenland, because Greenland, the United States and Denmark have been allies” for decades.

Isbosethsen reiterated on January 8 that “Greenland is not for sale,” a position repeatedly voiced as Trump has pressed for U.S. control over the island, raising the possibility of military intervention if diplomatic options fail.

The Trump administration’s push has alarmed western allies. Eight European leaders released a joint statement supporting Greenland, stressing that “security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.”

Meanwhile, NATO ambassadors discussed measures to strengthen the alliance’s Arctic flank amid concerns over the administration’s insistence on acquiring Greenland “by any means necessary.”

An EU diplomat familiar with Copenhagen’s thinking said Denmark is no longer avoiding EU-level involvement and now seeks to make clear to both U.S. lawmakers and Europe that Greenland has no interest in joining the United States.

By Vugar Khalilov