Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Mette Frederiksen hesitate for a long moment before answering this hypothetical:
How far do they think they’ve gotten in their diplomatic marathon over Greenland—if they compare it to an actual 42.195‑kilometer race?
The Kingdom of Denmark has been at it for 13 long months, and early Tuesday evening Greenland’s liberal premier and Denmark’s Social Democratic prime minister are seated in a small Challenger jet, flying from Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin to President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
For the first time, the two heads of government are giving a joint interview about their collaborative efforts to defend the kingdom against threats from the world’s most powerful man.
»We are in really good shape, but exactly where we are«, Mette Frederiksen replies without being more specific.
»I would say that we are ready to run all the way to the finish line. No matter how many kilometers are left«, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
It will be a tough race, as everything indicates that the U.S. President, Donald Trump, is prepared to lay down both tripwires, obstacle bars, and all sorts of threats on the route in the existential struggle that primarily Greenland, but also the entire kingdom, has been involuntarily thrown into.
With the whole world as spectators. The two passengers are fully aware that their diplomatic marathon involves principles that extend far beyond themselves and their own countries.
»Even though it directly concerns our population and our country, it is about much more than that. It is about the world order, about the most important alliance in history that has ensured peace in this world after a terrible war. About international law, about democracy«, says the Premier.
More connected than ever
Neither Denmark nor Greenland can afford to ignore either the immediate or the bigger picture right now—everything is connected, says the prime minister:
»We feel more connected than almost ever to the rest of Europe. Outside Europe, there’s support from large parts of the world as well. We’re painfully aware of what we’re dealing with,« says Mette Frederiksen.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, as far as I know, Greenland has never started a war and has always spoken about the need for peace. How does it affect the Greenlandic people that – on top of everything else – there are suddenly armed forces in the streets of Nuuk?
»Right now, they’re providing reassurance. We’ve long been aware the world is in a period of upheaval. Even though we’ve always been demilitarized, we can’t just live in a bubble. We have to share the responsibility—and that’s why the soldiers here now make people feel safe,« he says.
So the population was happy to see the troops?
»Yes, in the form of the exercises. Arctic Endurance creates security for our population«, says Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Can the exercise also be seen as a signal that you are ready to defend Greenland, no matter which foreign power might consider entering Greenland?
»As Jens-Frederik says, Arctic Endurance is something that has been ongoing for a long time. We have had a common desire for NATO to be more present in and around Greenland«, says Mette Frederiksen.
She adds:
»So it should be seen as an extension of the work that has already been underway. And yes, we are willing to defend our kingdom, of course. But it should be seen in that context«.
Donald Trump uses unpredictability as a method. Do you trust that the threat of annexation is now off the table?
»I’ll put it this way: until just a few days ago, we in Greenland were saying we couldn’t rule anything out, because nothing was being ruled out on their end. I still believe the desire to take Greenland is there,« says Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Mette Frederiksen, do you feel convinced?
»I regard the situation with as much seriousness as I have all along. The guiding principle in our partnership has been not to plan our work based on individual statements, individual meetings, or individual speeches. We follow all movements closely. The President has been very clear about his desire«, she says.
Choosing the kingdom
When the Trump campaign against Greenland intensified in the early days of the year, Denmark responded on January 6 by gathering support from France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Poland in a joint declaration that the UN Charter’s principle of the inviolability of borders is universal.
»We will not stop defending them«, it stated.
At that time, Jens-Frederik Nielsen reacted with gratitude towards »our allies in NATO«. The Kingdom of Denmark was not mentioned directly, and in a later declaration from a broad range of parties in the Greenlandic parliament, it was simply stated that Greenlanders neither wish to be Americans nor Danes.
The premier’s first full-throated rhetorical choice in favor of the Danish Realm came just ahead of the now-famous Washington meeting between Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) and Greenland’s foreign-affairs lead Vivian Motzfeldt on one side, and Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the other.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, why did it take so long to say what you finally said on January 13?
»I’m not sure I think it took long. To me, it’s been fairly obvious that when we say no to annexation and no to being bought, we’re essentially choosing the constitutional framework we’re in now.«
It was a strong moment when, right before the Washington meeting, you said that given the situation, you choose the Kingdom of Denmark. Was there a tactical reason to say it so plainly then—to show unity in the Realm ahead of the meeting?
»I think it was very, very, very important to show unity,« says Jens-Frederik Nielsen, adding:
»I said it as clearly as it can be said: if we have to choose, we choose the Kingdom.«
You have expressed great gratitude for European support. Would you also like to thank the Danish government for their efforts?
»Yes, yes, but we are still in the midst of the effort. We stand completely together in this situation. Inseparably. We have discussions all the time. Essentially, we probably owe each other thanks every day. But that is somewhat inherent in the work we do«.
Do you sense a stronger feeling of unity among your people—or is it as mixed as usual?
»I think my people’s attitude now is that we’re very, very, very grateful for our right to self-determination—and for the framework we have, especially when a superpower’s rhetoric threatens that right. What we’re feeling at home is clearly gratitude and solidarity across the entire Kingdom.«
Skirmishes still exist
Mette Frederiksen interjects with a remark that it would be wrong to believe that the current foreign policy partnership will make the internal Danish-Greenlandic skirmishes disappear into thin air. Disagreements about many ongoing issues and historical matters still exist.
»I’d urge people in Denmark not to use the foreign-policy situation as a pretext to stop moving forward on our domestic tracks. I’d disagree with that—it wouldn’t be fair to our relationship with Greenland,« says the Prime Minister.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen has yet to celebrate his first anniversary as Premier. But hardly any of his predecessors have come close to grappling with the centrifuge of major political interests, international media pressure, and much more that has come his way.
So far, Europe has gone to bat for him to such an extent that it is natural to ask whether Trump and the turbulent times make it relevant for Greenland to consider rejoining the EU cooperation, which the Greenlandic population voted out of in the 80s.
»That’s something we need to keep considering on an ongoing basis. We’re not there right now,« says Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
He adds that Greenland’s cooperation with the EU has expanded significantly—from mostly fishing and »a bit of education« before, to a much broader agenda now.
But you’re not aiming for full membership at this point?
»No, we’re not saying that yet.«
You say »not yet«?
»We’ll of course keep considering it. As I’ve said before, there are more civil servants working in Brussels than there are people living in Greenland. It’s a very, very big machine. I don’t think Greenland is ready for that level of bureaucracy right now. But we do have very close ties with the countries of Europe, which we value and want to cultivate.«
As the Challenger jet nears Paris, a parallel diplomatic effort is unfolding behind closed doors in Washington, Copenhagen, and Nuuk—where, not least, Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen and his Greenlandic counterpart will play key roles in upholding the Kingdom’s red line on ceding sovereignty.
How precise can you be regarding the mandate the officials have been given?
»I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we are not going to say anything about the content. We are engaged in the technical work«, says Mette Frederiksen.
On this sensitive issue, Jens-Frederik Nielsen has no additional comments.
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