Congressional delegation in Denmark says Greenland should be seen as US partner, “not as property”

The US Congress team wants to assure Denmark and Greenland of their support following President Trump’s threat to punish countries with tariffs if they do not agree with the US taking over the Arctic strategic island.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, said Greenland needs to be considered a U.S. partner, “not a commodity,” while Sen. Chris Coons says they want to reverse the situation.

“I hope the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not lose their faith in the American people,” said Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, in Copenhagen, adding that the US respects Denmark and NATO “for everything we have done together.”

Their comments drew comparisons with those coming from the White House. Mr. Trump has spent months in the US taking Greenland, pointing out important island location. He has tried to justify his calls for US intervention by repeatedly saying that China and Russia have their own designs on Greenland, which holds vast amounts of untapped minerals.

The Trump administration has not decided to take the island by military force, and on Friday, Mr. Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on any countries that “don’t comply” with his push to include Greenland.

“I might impose taxes on countries if they don’t agree with Greenland, because we need Greenland to protect the country. So I can do that,” he said.

The gambit has drawn considerable backlash from officials in Greenland, Denmark and across Europe.

Prime Minister of Greenland Jens-Frederik Nielsen said earlier this week that “we choose Denmark,” and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said a US takeover would mean the end of NATO.

“It undermines NATO at a time when our adversaries want to gain from separation,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, Denmark.

European leaders have insisted that it is up to Denmark and Greenland alone to decide on matters affecting the area, and Denmark said this week that it is increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with its allies.

“There is probably no better partner in the United States than Denmark,” Coons said. “If we do things that make the Danes wonder if we can count as NATO allies, why would another country want to be our ally or believe in our actions?”

Earlier this week, the The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington this week with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

That meeting did not resolve deep disagreements, but it did produce an agreement to establish a working group — which Denmark and the White House purposely offered very different public views.

And as the Arctic battle for Greenland’s future rages, many of its nearly 60,000 people are afraid.

“The Americans were good guys; they helped us, but now suddenly they’re our enemy and that’s shocking,” said Liv Aurora Jensen.

Thousands of people marched in Copenhagen, most of them carrying the Greenlandic flag, on Saturday afternoon in support of the self-governing island. Others held signs with slogans such as “Make America Smart Again” and “Hands Off.”

“This is important for the whole world,” Danish protester Elise Riechie told The Associated Press as she held Danish and Greenlandic flags. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

Other rallies were organized in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and elsewhere in the Kingdom of Denmark.