The new prime minister of Greenland has pushed back against claims from Donald Trump that the US will take control of the island.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen also urged Greenlanders to “calmly show the American president” that the island “is ours” after Mr Trump didn’t rule out using military force to capture the territory.
In a Facebook post shared two days after becoming prime minister, Mr Nielsen wrote: “We must listen when others talk about us. But we must not be shaken.
“President Trump says the United States is ‘getting Greenland’. Let me make this clear: The US is not getting that.
“We don’t belong to anyone else. We decide our own future.”
Mr Nielsen also told islanders “they must not act out of fear” and must respond to Mr Trump’s remarks with “peace, dignity and unity”.
He continued: “And it is through these values that we must clearly, clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours.
“It was like that yesterday. That’s how it is today. And that’s how it will be in the future.”
Greenland, a huge, resource-rich island, is a self-governing territory of Denmark – a NATO ally of the US.
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Mr Trump has said he wants to annex the territory, claiming the US needs it for national security purposes.
Meanwhile, a White House official has said Greenland’s supply of rare earth minerals would power the next generation of the US economy.
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On Saturday, the US president told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News that military force was not off the table with regards to acquiring Greenland.
In Saturday’s interview, Mr Trump said: “I think there’s a good possibility that we could do it without military force.
“This is world peace, this is international security.”
He added: “I don’t take anything off the table.”
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, a 33-year-old former minister of industry and minerals, was sworn in as the youngest ever prime minister of Greenland on Friday.
In his first press conference as prime minister in his hometown Nuuk, he called for political unity to combat external pressures.
His message was clear: “At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together.”
Nielsen’s economic vision for Greenland is ambitious. He aims to shift the focus from discussions about Denmark’s block grant – a little less than $1bn each year that keeps the economy afloat – to business development and the creation of a self-sustaining economy.
His ultimate goal is for Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, to achieve independence through economic self-reliance.
As well as his life in politics, Mr Nielsen, sworn in just hours before a high-profile US delegation arrived on the island, is best known as a sportsman and hunter.
Born and raised in Greenland, Mr Nielsen poses with reindeer he has shot on Facebook posts and has several national badminton championships under his belt.
Greenland’s residents and politicians have reacted with anger to his repeated suggestions, with Danish leaders also criticising them.
Mr Trump said “I don’t care” when asked in the NBC interview what message the annexation of Greenland would send to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has invaded Ukraine and captured several of its provinces in defiance of international law.
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Mr Nielsen’s remarks come days after US Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland with his wife Usha and senior US officials.
Mr Vance visited an American military base on the island and claimed Denmark has “not done a good job” in relation to the territory.
He said: “Our message to Denmark is very simple: you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland.
“You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people.”
