It’s up to Greenland to decide its future, Denmark’s prime minister told Trump.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Donald Trump that Greenland’s future is up to him.

The US president-elect sparked riots in Copenhagen and the Greenlandic capital Nuuk last week, when he announced that the US wants access to the huge Arctic island, which is a Danish territory.

During a 45-minute phone call on Wednesday, Frederiksen told Trump that Denmark was ready to increase its security responsibilities in the Arctic Ocean.

She also repeated the statement of the Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Egede, who recently said that Greenland will not be sold.

Trump has not publicly responded to the call. However, he reposted a 2019 poll on his TruthSocial account that showed 68 percent of Greenlanders support independence from Denmark.

An independence referendum is thought to be on the cards and Denmark has said it will respect any result.

During his last presidency, Trump said he wanted to buy Greenland. Frederiksen abruptly canceled his trip to Denmark, calling the idea “absurd.”

In a phone call with Trump, the Danish government emphasized that “Danish companies contribute to the growth and jobs of the United States and that the EU and the United States have a common interest in strengthening trade.”

Last week, Trump threatened Denmark with steep tariffs if the country did not show Greenland.

The proposal has set off alarm bells among Danish industry leaders, as the US is Denmark’s second largest export market and any targeted tariffs would have a significant impact on the Danish economy.

The CEO of beer giant Carlsberg, which makes popular obesity and diabetes drugs in the United States, and Novo Nordisk will hold what Danish media have called a “crisis meeting” with business leaders on Thursday.

She is going to organize an extraordinary Foreign Policy Council meeting with all members of Parliament.

I am satisfied with Frederiksen’s line that any decision about Greenland should be taken by Greenland’s member of parliament Aja Chemnitz.

“I have a lot of faith in the work of the prime minister, and I have a lot of faith in Egede. I think it is important that they have a close dialogue,” she said.

Earlier this week, Igede said his government was ready to start talks with the incoming Trump administration.

But Rasmus Jarlov, a representative of the opposition party, said he did not approve of Frederiksen’s approach.

Writing on X, “(Frederiksen) abandoning Denmark’s rights in Greenland and talking to the President of the United States about giving up her sovereignty only with Greenland’s self-government is completely unacceptable.”

Trump’s comments and his son’s visit to Greenland last week caused a stir in Denmark. Frequently facing the prospect of angering what she calls “Denmark’s closest ally”, Frederiksen measured her words, stressing Greenland’s right to self-determination.

“This Greenland thing is really something that’s on Trump’s mind – it’s not just a passing thought,” TV2 political editor Hans Reeder said of Trump’s 45-minute phone call with Frederiksen.