Nielsen also praised Denmark as a close partner throughout the crisis.
He has previously stated that if Greenlanders were forced to choose between the US and Denmark, they would choose Denmark. The speech made no mention of independence for Greenland.
France will stage a prominent display of European solidarity on Wednesday, with President Emmanuel Macron welcoming Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen to Paris for talks focused on Arctic security and Greenland’s long-term development.
The Élysée Palace said the meeting would take the form of a “working lunch”, during which Macron will “reaffirm European solidarity and France’s support for Denmark, Greenland, their sovereignty and their territorial integrity”.
Greenland’s government will form a task force consisting of representatives of all relevant local authorities to help people prepare for any disruptions to daily life, Nielsen said. The government is working on distributing new guidelines to the population, including a recommendation to have enough food for five days stored in their homes.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told reporters Tuesday he cannot rule out a U.S. invasion, saying the island’s government will have to start preparing for a possible incursion as troops from Denmark and some NATO countries have arrived in Greenland to bolster its defenses.
Tausende Dänen haben in Kopenhagen gegen die von US-Präsident Donald Trump erhobenen Besitzansprüche auf Grönland protestiert. Sie versammelten sich vor dem Rathaus der dänischen Hauptstadt, schwenkten dänische und grönländische Fahnen und riefen „Kalaallit Nunaat!“ – den Namen Grönlands in der Muttersprache.
Auch in anderen dänischen Städten sowie in der grönländischen Hauptstadt Nuuk finden Proteste statt.
In Greenland‘s capital Nuuk, thousands led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen carried flags and similar banners as they headed for the U.S. consulate chanting „Kalaallit Nunaat“ – the island‘s name in Greenlandic.
“I’ve come here today because I think it’s important to show that Greenland is not for sale. It is not a toy. This is our home,” said Naja Holm, a civil servant.
The territory‘s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said „that‘s enough now“ in a response on social media.
„No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,“ Nielsen said on Facebook.
„We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law,“ he said
“We are summoning the US ambassador to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly for two reasons: to clearly state our objection and to request an explanation,” Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told broadcaster TV2.
Løkke said any move that challenges the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark is unacceptable.
„I am deeply angered by the appointment and the statement, which I find totally unacceptable,“ he also said.