Before White House meeting, Greenland’s leader says island would choose Denmark over U.S.

Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen of Greenland said Tuesday that his country would rather remain a part of the Danish Kingdom than join the United States, a day before officials from the three governments are set to meet at the White House.

President Donald Trump has been insistent that he would try to take over Greenland “whether they like it or not.” Denmark colonized the island more than 300 years ago and still controls some of its affairs.

“If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark,” Nielsen said in a joint news conference with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark. “We choose NATO, the Kingdom of Denmark and the European Union.

“The time has come to stand together,” he added from Frederiksen’s office in Copenhagen, Denmark. “Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”

Greenland was incorporated into Denmark in 1953. In 1979, Greenland gained limited autonomy over internal matters and established its own parliament.

In 2009, Greenland gained self-rule and gained the right to hold a referendum on independence but has not done so.

Greenland relies on Denmark for economic subsidies, protection from NATO and many professional services such as education and medicine.

Nielsen and Frederiksen made it clear that their governments would be united when their foreign ministers meet Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We come together, we stay together, and we leave together,” Frederiksen said.