Danish PM says sovereignty non-negotiable, urging NATO presence in Arctic

Brussels: The status of Denmark as a sovereign state cannot be negotiated, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said ahead of an emergency European Council summit in Brussels.

She said Denmark has asked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to strengthen its presence in the Arctic region. “We need a permanent presence from NATO in the Arctic region, including around Greenland.”

Frederiksen reaffirmed that the kingdom’s sovereignty is the red line. “We have said from the very beginning that our status as a sovereign state is not up for discussion and cannot be changed,” she added.

Noting that Denmark has been working closely with the United States for many years, she underlined that cooperation must be based on mutual respect and without threats, Xinhua news agency reported.

“When Europe is not divided, when we stand together, and when we are clear and strong in our willingness to stand for ourselves, then the results will show,” she added.

In the face of the latest tariff threats on Greenland from US President Donald Trump, the European Council planned to hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday evening.

However, posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced on Wednesday that he decided to drop the planned tariffs on eight European countries as a “framework for a future deal” on Greenland and the Arctic area had emerged from talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

–IANS