Greenland premier claims no deal in place between US, Denmark

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Premier of Greenland, indicated Thursday that there is no deal in place between the US and Denmark on Greenland. 

“I don’t know what’s in the deal,” he told reporters in Nuuk.

Follow The Post’s live coverage of President Trump and national politics for the latest news and analysis

President Trump, who has said he wants ownership of the island, left a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos on Wednesday and announced a framework agreement was in place. 

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Premier of Greenland, indicated Thursday that there is no deal in place between the US and Denmark on Greenland. via REUTERS

But Nielsen said that meeting “was about the common goal, the thing we actually agree on, we have to do more on security in our area.”

That would include “increased military presence and exercise activities” with US and NATO forces on Greenland, which occupies a strategically important position in the North Atlantic and “nothing about a deal on mineral resources or anything else,” Nielsen said.

“We have a high-level working group that can sort things out and we can find out concretely what the interests of the US are,” Nielsen said, describing any infringements on Greenland’s sovereignty as a “red line.”

Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters that Rutte doesn’t speak for her country. 

“NATO does not have a mandate to negotiate on behalf of Denmark and Greenland. As I understand it, discussions have focused on increased NATO engagement in the High North and the Arctic region,” she said.