Danish prime minister visits Greenland as Trump seeks control of the Arctic territory
AP — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is in Greenland for a three-day trip aimed at building trust and cooperation with Greenlandic officials at a time when the Trump administration is seeking control of the vast Arctic territory.
Frederiksen announced plans for her visit after US Vice President JD Vance visited a US air base in Greenland last week and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory.
Greenland is a mineral-rich, strategically critical island that is becoming more accessible because of climate change. Trump has said that the landmass is critical to US security. It's geographically part of North America, but is a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark.
After her arrival Wednesday, Frederiksen walked the streets of the capital, Nuuk, with the incoming Greenlandic leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen. She is also to meet with the future Naalakkersuisut, the Cabinet, in a visit due to last through Friday.
'It has my deepest respect how the Greenlandic people and the Greenlandic politicians handle the great pressure that is on Greenland,' she said in government statement announcing the visit.
On the agenda are talks with Nielsen about cooperation between Greenland and Denmark.
Nielsen has said in recent days that he welcomes the visit, and that Greenland would resist any US attempt to annex the territory.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen meets with incoming Greenlandic leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen in Nuuk, Greenland, on April 2, 2025.
Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AP
'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 U.S. is not getting that. We don't belong to anyone else. We decide our own future,' he wrote Sunday on Facebook.
'We must not act out of fear. We must respond with peace, dignity and unity. And it is through these values that we must clearly, clearly and calmly show the American president that Greenland is ours.'
For years, the people of Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, have been working toward eventual independence from Denmark.
The Trump administration's threats to take control of the island one way or the other, possibly even with military force, have angered many in Greenland and Denmark. The incoming government chosen in last month's election wants to take a slower approach on the question of eventual independence.
The political group in Greenland most sympathetic to the US president, the Naleraq party that advocates a swift path toward independence, was excluded from coalition talks to form the next government.
Peter Viggo Jakobsen, associate professor at the Danish Defense Academy, said last week that the Trump administration's aspirations for Greenland could backfire and push the more mild parties closer to Denmark.
He said that 'Trump has scared most Greenlanders away from this idea about a close relationship to the United States because they don't trust him.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
See - Sada Elbalad
11 hours ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
Trump Demands Fed Governor Lisa Cook Resign
Taarek Refaat Former U.S. President Donald Trump has escalated his ongoing criticism of the Federal Reserve, calling on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to resign. The demand, made Wednesday via his social media platform Truth Social, intensifies political pressure on the central bank as it continues to face scrutiny over interest rate policy and internal oversight. 'Cook should resign now,' Trump wrote, sharing a Bloomberg report referencing calls for increased scrutiny over two controversial mortgage files associated with Cook. Trump's latest comments follow repeated criticisms of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whom he has lambasted for not cutting interest rates aggressively enough. Trump has previously labeled Powell 'an idiot' and 'stupid,' claiming the Fed's cautious stance on monetary easing is damaging the U.S. economy amid ongoing tariff-driven inflationary pressures. The former president also once suggested that the cost of renovating the Federal Reserve's headquarters could justify Powell's removal, though he later backtracked on that position. Trump's call for Cook's resignation was echoed by Bill Bolt, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a close Trump ally. Bolt reportedly sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General urging a federal investigation into Cook's mortgage dealings, hinting at potential criminal conduct. It remains unclear whether the Justice Department will act on this request. Appointed to the Fed's Board of Governors in May 2022, Lisa Cook was reappointed in September 2023 for a term that runs through 2038. A former member of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, Cook has become a political target for Trump and other Republican figures who often criticize officials tied to Democratic administrations. Cook is also known for her more cautious stance on monetary easing. Recently, she dismissed the idea of a 50-basis-point rate cut in September, another point of contention for Trump and his economic allies, who are calling for steeper and faster rate reductions. With Powell's term as Fed Chair set to expire in May 2026, Trump's intensified attacks may foreshadow a broader campaign to reshape the central bank's leadership if he returns to the White House. Analysts warn that political interference in Fed policy could undermine the institution's independence at a critical time for the global economy. read more CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years Business Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves Business Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue Business Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday Business Wheat delivery season commences on April 15 Videos & Features Story behind Trending Jessica Radcliffe Death Video News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt News The Jessica Radcliffe Orca Attack? 100% Fake and AI-Generated
Al-Ahram Weekly
11 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US targets more ICC judges including over Israel - International
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four more International Criminal Court judges or prosecutors, including from allies France and Canada, in a new effort to hobble the tribunal particularly over actions against Israel. "The Court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, using a term popular with President Donald Trump's supporters. Rubio said that the four people targeted from the tribunal based in The Hague had sought to investigate or prosecute nationals from the United States or Israel "without the consent of either nation." The four include Judge Nicolas Guillou of France, who is presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The case was brought forward by the State of Palestine, which is not recognized by Washington but, unlike Israel or the United States, has acceded to the statute that set up the tribunal in The Hague. Guillou, a veteran jurist, had worked for several years in the United States assisting the Justice Department with judicial cooperation during Barack Obama's presidency. Also targeted in the latest US sanctions was a Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, who was involved in a case that authorized an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, including by US forces. Under the sanctions, the United States will bar entry of the ICC judges to the United States and block any property they have in the world's largest economy -- measures more often taken against US adversaries than individuals from close allies. Rubio also slapped sanctions on two deputy prosecutors -- Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal. The State Department said the two were punished by the United States for supporting "illegitimate ICC actions against Israel," including by supporting the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The Trump administration has roundly rejected the authority of the court, which is backed by almost all European democracies and was set up as a court of last resort when national systems do not allow for justice. Trump on Friday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska even though Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant, a factor that has stopped him from traveling more widely since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Rubio slapped sanctions on four other ICC judges in June. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Daily News Egypt
12 hours ago
- Daily News Egypt
The Gains of the Alaska Summit
The Alaska Summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was regarded as a rare and timely opportunity for the two leaders to act as allies, rather than adversaries, in shaping a better future for the world. Both had already hinted at being open to such a prospect. Trump recently warned that the world would face a 'serious problem' if the New START treaty expired without a follow-up framework, while Putin emphasised that the treaty's expiry was an urgent issue to be addressed with Washington. When it comes to the global nuclear question, no other actors matter: only Trump and Putin—who together control more than 90 percent of the world's nuclear warheads—can make the decisive choices. It is a strictly bilateral issue, one that must be settled at the highest level. The outcomes of the Alaska Summit suggest that the Ukraine crisis was, in effect, less the centrepiece than a pretext to reset relations between Moscow and Washington in a form wholly different from anything seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Several critical areas of convergence emerged, potentially paving the way for renewed strategic stability talks between the two nuclear superpowers: Reaffirming the January 2022 P5 statement issued by the permanent members of the UN Security Council, which declared that 'a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.' This principle has gained urgency since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict. Maintaining New START limits voluntarily, even beyond the treaty's expiry—an interim cap that would prevent a near-term arms race and reassure both allies and rivals. Refraining from explosive nuclear testing, despite the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty's continued limbo, partly due to the absence of US and Russian ratification. Freezing non-strategic or 'tactical' nuclear weapons—smaller warheads designed for battlefield use—an issue reignited by European debates on arming Ukraine. Acknowledging the risks of unconstrained missile defence, as the US accelerates its 'Golden Dome' project while Russia expands advanced delivery systems. By debating these questions, Washington and Moscow gain the chance to think more seriously—and together—about managing the future, from breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to the growing role of outer space in security competition. On Ukraine, however, much remains unresolved. Putin insists on a definitive settlement: US guarantees that Kyiv will not join NATO, coupled with implicit recognition of territories occupied by Russia since the war began. For Putin, the summit's gains are manifold: restoring dialogue with Washington and breaking international isolation; sidelining Western Europe, which he deems irrelevant after the war; cornering Zelensky and portraying him as the obstacle to peace; strengthening Russia's hand vis-à-vis its wavering ally, China; and beginning the process of easing US sanctions, with initial steps already evident in areas such as AI services and civil aviation. If the Alaska talks do indeed pave the way toward ending the war, this would mark the greatest foreign-policy achievement of Donald Trump's presidency since he took office in January. For Trump, the summit also intersects with his personal ambitions. His moves on the international stage suggest a clear priority: securing the Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan nominated him in June following his intervention in the brief India–Pakistan clash; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a nomination letter in July; and Cambodia's prime minister added another in August, citing his mediation in a border conflict. Some of these crises may have been exaggerated or insufficiently resolved, but collectively they feed into Trump's campaign for the prize. Trump's desire appears partly symbolic—perhaps to rival Barack Obama, who won the Nobel in 2009 after just one year in office, and whom Trump once mocked for not knowing 'why he got it.' Should Trump succeed, he would become the fifth US president to win the Nobel Peace Prize, after Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and Obama. Politically, Trump also harvested three key gains: securing access to Russia's rare raw materials vital to technological dominance; constraining Europe's role, which Washington has seen as burdensome since World War II; and driving a wedge between Moscow and Beijing, America's primary global competitor. The warmth of Trump's red-carpet welcome for Putin at Anchorage Air Base was itself revealing: their chemistry was evident, and Putin appeared unusually relaxed, even affectionate, in moments that typically demand rigid protocol. This raised expectations that the summit might mark the beginning of a dramatic reorientation in world politics—perhaps even an 'overturning' of the post–Cold War order. From Washington's perspective, the Alaska Summit was meant to focus narrowly on Ukraine and arms control. Europeans viewed it as a potential breakthrough on the war ravaging their continent. Moscow cast it as a comprehensive bilateral reset. For Trump, however, it was all of these—and more: a stage for personal glory, geopolitical manoeuvring, and the pursuit of a Nobel Prize. Dr. Hatem Sadek – Professor at Helwan University
