Today’s big topic: Greenland chooses Denmark, the EU, and NATO
Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Mette Frederiksen are giving a statement on the current situation at a press conference in the Prime Minister's Office at Christiansborg.
What’s happening?
On Tuesday, the Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen firmly stated at a press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that Greenland chooses Denmark over the USA.
That Greenland actively chooses the Danish Kingdom in the current situation, and that Greenland not only chooses Denmark but also the EU and NATO. That Greenland is not for sale, that Greenland does not want to be American, and that Greenland and Denmark stand together. Thus, he set the stage for the meeting at the White House between Vice President JD Vance and Danish Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Moderaterne, M) and Greenlandic Vivian Motzfeldt (Siumut).
Why it matters!
Mixed signals have been coming from Greenlandic politicians in recent days - both in the government and parliament - but now the Greenlandic government emphasizes that Denmark and Greenland stand side by side.
It does not solve the geopolitical crisis that Greenland is in the middle of, but it makes it harder for the USA to claim that Denmark and Greenland are not playing on the same field. This is an advantage ahead of the meeting between the USA, Denmark, and Greenland at the White House today, political analyst Elisabet Svane assesses.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
In other news
– Ørsted stock rises after good news from the US
Ørsted stock rose by 5.4 percent yesterday after news that work on the offshore wind farm Revolution Wind off the American East Coast can continue. This was reported by the news agency Ritzau. Investors seem to be breathing a little easier on behalf of the energy company after a judge at the federal court in Washington gave the green light to resume work.
– Danish veteran: »A soldier never forgets who stood by his side. Nations shouldn’t either«
The Danish veteran Henrik Bager, who has been deployed five times and fought side by side with American soldiers, has written a letter to the former American ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford. In the letter, he expresses his frustration that the USA calls Denmark a poor ally. The letter has been widely shared, and the former American ambassador urges all Americans to read the letter.
Read the full article here.
– Byhaven is pausing its winter hibernation
Need a touch of summer, festival, and bucket hats in the midst of darkness and freezing temperatures? Then head to Pumpehuset in Vesterbro on Friday, January 16. For one night, Pumpehuset’s famous outdoor summer venue Byhaven is pausing its winter hibernation and inviting you to an evening indoors with everything you know from Byhaven: long tables, colorful lights, and concerts with talents from the Danish music scene.
Read more about it here.
Talk of town: Everyone is talking about it. Very few understand it. How does the the Unity of the Realm work?
We write many news stories about Greenland these weeks, as it dominates almost the entire public debate at the moment. Many are questioning the future of the Unity of the Realm in the wake of the USA’s threats to take over Greenland, but few understand what it actually entails.
We have gathered everything you need to know about the Unity of the Realm. The shared history with everything that unites us. The conflicts and differences that divide us. And we attempt to look into future scenarios and find answers to where we are headed.
There are two important Danish words to understand and distinguish when speaking about matters concerning Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark and the Danish Kingdom.
- Kongeriget Danmark = The Kingdom of Denmark
- Rigsfællesskabet = The Unity of the Realm
The Kingdom of Denmark is the more formal word, often used in relation to the Danish Royal Family. The word Rigsfællesskabet (Unity of the Realm) does not mention Denmark and indicates a more equal relationship between the three nations, each of which are autonomous legal systems.
Still curious? Read the full article here.
This newsletter features stories originally published in Danish. AI was used to shorten and translate the articles into English, after which a member of the editorial staff reviewed and refined the content.