Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen said in a phone call with President-elect Donald Trump this week that Greenland will decide its own future after Trump said the U.S. wanted to buy the territory.
Frederiksen and Trump spoke for 45 minutes on Wednesday, with the prime minister telling Danish news outlet TV2 in an interview after the conversation that it "confirmed" the "great American interest in Greenland."
Frederiksen reportedly told the incoming president that Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, will decide for itself whether to become independent. She also reiterated Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede's previous statement that the Arctic island is not for sale.
According to the Danish government, Frederiksen also "emphasized the importance of strengthening security in the Arctic" and reminded Trump that "Danish companies contribute to growth and jobs in the U.S. and that the EU and the U.S. have a common interest in strengthened trade."
Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., Trump's choice to serve as national security adviser, recently said in an interview that Greenland is needed for its "critical minerals," which is a "national security" issue.
"This is about critical minerals," Waltz said. "This is about natural resources. This is about, as the polar ice caps pull back, the Chinese are now cranking out icebreakers and pushing up there as well. So it's oil and gas. It's our national security. It's critical minerals."