'We're ready to defend every inch': Danish PM pushes back on Trump's Greenland demands

President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled down on his demands for the U.S. to take control of Greenland, claiming it needs the semi-autonomous territory more than Denmark for security reasons. Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said the territory was "very important" for the U.S., "but it is not important for Denmark," after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen vowed to defend every inch of the Arctic land. 

"We took Greenland, and then stupidly we gave it back. We shouldn't have given it back to them because we’re the ones that need it. We need it for the protection of the world, not just the United States," Trump said at the NATO summit, as per CNBC. His comments came after Frederiksen reiterated to the media that Greenland was not up for sale and that Denmark was ready to defend its territory. "Our position is clear as it has been all through. Greenland is, of course, not for sale," Frederiksen said at the summit.

"We hope that all, including all allies, will respect the Greenlandic people’s right for self-determination, and we are a sovereign state, and we need everybody to respect our territorial integrity and our sovereignty," she added. When a reporter asked if Denmark was ready to defend Greenland militarily in case the U.S. launched an attack, she replied, "We are ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory."

Earlier this year, Trump stated he would not rule out taking the island by military force to secure its "right, title and ownership." However, the President has since confirmed that military options have been taken off the table as discussions took a diplomatic turn with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio leading the charge. Those discussions are now at risk as Trump, at the recent summit, ramped up pressure to take over the Arctic territory, claiming the U.S. needs to take over Greenland to deter threats from Russia and China. "Denmark doesn't spend money to really help Greenland, but it's an important part for the U.S., and it's surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships," Trump said, adding that it should be controlled by the U.S., not by Denmark, as per The Hill.

Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark and a long-time U.S. ally that has rejected Trump's demands. The country's government had opposed U.S. designs on the island, saying the people of Greenland would decide their own future. Thus, Trump even went as far as to threaten to pull all American armed forces out of Europe, given the resistance from Greenland, despite admitting that his disagreement over the ownership of the territory had "hurt" his relations with NATO. 

One of the key reasons why Trump wants Greenland is its position right above the Arctic Circle, which makes the world's largest island a key part of the security strategy. With increasing international tensions, global warming, and the changing world economy, Greenland is set to play a key role in global trade and security, and Trump wants to make sure his country controls the island that guards the sea routes to North America through the Arctic and North Atlantic, as per PBS.