NUUK — Greenland's prime minister said Wednesday now was "not the time" to talk about the Arctic island's future independence and jeopardise its right to self-determination, as Trump ramps up threats to take control of it.

 

"I don't think this is the time to talk about it. We shouldn't gamble with our right to self-determination when another country is talking about taking us," Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in an interview with Greenlandic media.

 

The remarks were published just hours before a high-stakes meeting at the White House between Danish, Greenlandic and US officials over Greenland.

 

"That doesn't mean we won't want something different in the future. But here and now, we are part of the [Danish] kingdom, and we stand with the kingdom. That is particularly important in this serious situation," Nielsen added.

 

Denmark's foreign minister and his Greenlandic counterpart were to meet later Wednesday with their US counterpart Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, who rebuked Denmark last year for a lack of military engagement in Greenland.

 

Nielsen said he hoped that after the meeting, "we will be able to establish a more normalised and respectful dialogue with the United States".

 

On Tuesday, Nielsen said that if Greenland had to choose between remaining Danish or becoming part of the United States, "we choose Denmark".

 

"Well that's their problem," Trump retorted.

 

The US president has not ruled out taking the Danish autonomous territory -- a fellow member of NATO -- by force.

 

"We must believe that the principles of the world order will not be trampled upon," said the Greenlandic leader in the interview published Wednesday.

 

"If we start toying with the fundamental principles of democracy, we have a serious problem not only in Greenland, but across the entire world."

 

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen on Wednesday sought to ease US concerns about security in Greenland, telling AFP Denmark was boosting its military presence there and was in talks with allies on "an increased NATO presence in the Arctic."