Carney Meets With Denmark’s PM, Backs Country on Greenland Amid US Annexation Remarks

Prime Minister Mark Carney is backing Denmark on Greenland sovereignty after meeting with the Danish prime minister, amid repeated comments by Washington about its need for the territory.

The future of Greenland is a decision “exclusively” for Denmark and Greenland, Carney said at a Jan. 6 press conference at the Canadian Embassy in Paris, France. He made the comments while responding to questions from reporters about whether a U.S. military action to annex Greenland would mean the end of NATO.

“There’s basic principles here, which is self-determination of nations, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and then there [are] approaches that we have as partners to what we’re trying to accomplish,” Carney said. “As NATO, we can provide security for all of NATO, Greenland included.”

Carney added that Canada and other NATO members are working to boost Arctic security as the global threat environment changes and as Russia and China make inroads into polar waters.

Greenland is a self-governing Arctic island within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Carney met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Paris on Jan. 6 ahead of a meeting of Ukraine’s allies to discuss security guarantees for the country.

Carney emphasized Canada’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark, including Greenland, during the meeting with Frederiksen, according to a readout from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The two leaders also discussed Arctic security and “opportunities to deepen economic and security ties in key sectors, including critical metals and minerals, life sciences, quantum technology, and energy,” the PMO said.

Denmark and other European countries released a joint statement on Greenland on Jan. 6, saying that “Greenland belongs to its people.”

“It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the statement reads, noting that “The Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO.”

The PMO said Carney affirmed his support for the joint statement during his meeting with Frederiksen, but he didn’t join the European countries in signing it.

U.S. President Donald Trump has in recent times stated his interest in Greenland, saying that it should become part of the United States while citing security reasons and an interest in the island’s mineral resources.

The president has also repeatedly talked of seeking to make Canada the 51st U.S. state though also noting that he respects Canada’s sovereignty.

“President Trump has made it well known that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CNN on Jan. 6. “The President and his team are discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course, utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.”

The pushback over Greenland follows a surprise Trump administration military operation in Venezuela to capture the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, and extradite him to the United States, where he faces multiple conspiracy charges, including narco-terrorism.

The move demonstrates an intent by the United States to neutralize threats in the Western Hemisphere, which is in line with Trump’s recently released National Security Strategy. The strategy resuscitates the Monroe Doctrine, a U.S. policy articulated by President James Monroe in 1823, saying that the Western Hemisphere is the United States’ exclusive zone of influence.

Melanie Sun, Noé Chartier, and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.