Denmark responds to Trump's "threat of seizure": Greenland may become independent but unlikely to join the United States.

Danish Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that if the residents of Greenland are willing, the island could possibly become independent, but it is unlikely to become a state of the United States. This comes after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out the possibility of using force to take over the Arctic island. "We are well aware that Greenland has its own ambitions. If these ambitions are realized, Greenland will become independent, but it is unlikely to become a federal state of the United States," Danish Foreign Minister Rasmus Rasmussen said. He told reporters that it is reasonable for the U.S. to be concerned about Arctic security with increased activities by countries like Russia in the region. "I don't think we have a diplomatic crisis on our hands," he said. "We are willing to engage in dialogue with the Americans to explore how we might collaborate more closely to ensure their ambitions are realized." Just a day earlier, Trump's comments had put the fate of Greenland in the global headlines. Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on January 20, said on Tuesday that he does not rule out military or economic action to make Greenland a part of the United States. On the same day, Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., made a private visit to Greenland. Greenland is located in the northeast of North America and is the world's largest island. It is an autonomous territory of Denmark with a high degree of autonomy, with defense and foreign affairs overseen by the Danish government. The Greenlandic government led by Mute Egede aims to achieve ultimate independence. Trump's interest in Greenland is due to its triple appeal of military, resources, and trade. The island is rich in resources like rare earth elements and is also strategically important militarily, with a U.S. missile tracking base located there. Additionally, the island is a key point along the Arctic route, as the commercial value of the Arctic route becomes more prominent with global warming reducing ice coverage in the Arctic region, the trade importance of Greenland also increases. Relations between Greenland and Denmark have recently become tense due to accusations of mistreatment of the Greenlandic people during the colonial era. Greenland has repeatedly responded firmly to Trump's remarks, stating that the island is not for sale. Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede strongly called for Greenland's independence and to break free from the "shackles" of colonialism in a New Year's speech. "Our wish is to one day be independent. But our goal is not to be ruled by one country instead of another," said Greenland's Finance Minister Eric Jensen recently. Greenlandic leaders met with the Danish King in Copenhagen on Wednesday. While many Greenlanders dream of independence from Denmark, the King remains popular on the island. Some analysts believe that the Danish King may help mediate the relationship between Denmark and Greenland. Although Denmark downplayed the seriousness of Trump's threat to its territory, Trump's openly stated ambition to expand the U.S. border has shocked European allies. French Foreign Minister Baro warned in a media interview on Wednesday that the EU will not allow other countries to attack its "sovereign borders," though he did not believe the U.S. would "invade" Greenland. German Chancellor Scholz also issued a statement on the same day, pointing out that the inviolability of sovereign borders of a nation is a basic principle of international law, and applies to all countries. All countries should adhere to this principle, whether they are small or powerful. This article is adapted from "Financial Association", edited by Xu Wenqiang from GMTEight.