Danish king to visit Greenland in show of unity amid Trump interest
COPENHAGEN - Denmark's King Frederik will visit Greenland next week, the royal palace said on Wednesday, in a show of solidarity with the semi-autonomous Danish territory that U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to control.
In a further display of unity, Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, will travel to Denmark for talks on April 26, the Greenlandic and Danish governments said.
Greenland is rich in raw materials, including minerals critical to advance new technologies, and Trump has said the United States needs control of the strategically-located island for reasons of national and international security.
The leaders of Denmark and Greenland have said that only Greenlanders can decide the territory's future.
"We live in a time that calls for unity. We must support each other in the difficult foreign policy situation that Greenland and the Danish Realm currently are in," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement.
She and Nielsen will discuss the geopolitical situation and ties between Denmark and Greenland, Nielsen told Greenlandic daily newspaper Sermitsiaq.
King Frederik, who is Denmark's head of state but does not hold formal political powers, will go to Greenland with Nielsen when the prime minister returns to the Arctic island on April 28. The king last visited Greenland with his wife Queen Mary from June 29-July 6 last year.
During a visit to Greenland last month, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused Denmark of not doing a good job of keeping the island safe from Russia and China, and suggested the U.S. could better protect the territory.
Frederiksen also visited Greenland this month and said the United States "shall not take over Greenland". She called for increased Arctic defence collaboration with the United States and dismissed the U.S. desire to annex the island.
Relations between Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland's capital, have often been difficult but King Frederik and the wider royal family are popular among the people of Greenland.
The king will visit Nuuk as well as going to Station Nord, a military outpost in the far north, and the Sirius Patrol, a special forces command that uses dog sleds to travel across the Greenland's vast glacier. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
9 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Ukraine's drones target Moscow, other regions, Russia's defence ministry says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Russian air defence units destroyed 122 Ukrainian drones overnight that targeted the capital Moscow and scores of other Russian regions, injuring at least one person, Russian authorities said on Thursday. More than half of the drones were destroyed over the Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions that border Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry said on the Telegram messaging app. Three drones were destroyed over the Moscow region, it added. One person was lightly injured and a civilian facility sustained minor damage in the Smolensk region that borders Belarus, regional Governor Vasily Anokhin, said on Telegram. A Ukrainian drone attack on Wednesday killed three people and injured at least 17 others in the Belgorod region, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targeting civilians, something both sides deny, in the course of the war, now well into its fourth year. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Syria's interim president says protecting Druze a 'priority'
Members of Syrian security forces stand on a road in Sweida countryside, as vehicles transporting other Syrian security forces make their way out of the predominantly druze city of Sweida, Syria, July 16, 2025. REUTERS/Karam al-Masri DAMASCUS/CAIRO - Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Thursday that protecting Druze citizens and their rights is "our priority", as Israel vowed to destroy Syrian government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria. In his first televised statement after powerful Israeli air strikes on Damascus on Wednesday, Sharaa addressed Druze citizens saying "we reject any attempt to drag you into hands of an external party". "We are not among those who fear the war. We have spent our lives facing challenges and defending our people, but we have put the interests of the Syrians before chaos and destruction," he said. He added that the Syrian people are not afraid of war and are ready to fight if their dignity is threatened. Israel's airstrikes blew up part of Syria's defence ministry and hit near the presidential palace as it vowed to destroy government forces attacking Druze in southern Syria and demanded they withdraw. The attacks marked a significant Israeli escalation against Sharaa's Islamist-led administration. They came despite his warming ties with the U.S. and his administration's evolving security contacts with Israel. Describing Syria's new rulers as barely disguised jihadists, Israel has said it will not let them move forces into southern Syria and vowed to shield the area's Druze community from attack, encouraged by calls from Israel's own Druze minority. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Opinion The workplace needs to step up on mental health to match Singapore's efforts at the national level Business Market versus mission: What will Income Insurance choose? Singapore Singapore Zoo celebrates reptile baby boom, including hatchings of endangered species Life First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa Business Singapore key exports surprise with 13% rebound in June amid tariff uncertainty Opinion AI and education: We need to know where this sudden marriage is heading Singapore Coffee Meets Bagel's Singpass check: Why I'll swipe right on that The U.S. said the fighting would stop soon. "We have engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria. We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media. The United Nations Security Council will meet on Thursday to address the conflict, diplomats said. "The council must condemn the barbaric crimes committed against innocent civilians on Syrian soil," said Israel's ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon. "Israel will continue to act resolutely against any terrorist threat on its borders, anywhere and at any time." WARPLANES OVER DAMASCUS The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 169 people had been killed in this week's violence. Security sources put the toll at 300. Reuters could not independently verify the tolls. Reuters reporters heard warplanes swoop low over the capital Damascus and unleash a series of massive strikes on Wednesday afternoon. Columns of smoke rose from the area near the defence ministry. A section of the building was destroyed, the ground strewn with rubble. An Israeli military official said the entrance to the military headquarters in Damascus was struck, along with a military target near the presidential palace. The official said Syrian forces were not acting to prevent attacks on Druze and were part of the problem. "We will not allow southern Syria to become a terror stronghold," said Eyal Zamir, Israel's military chief of staff. Sharaa faces challenges to stitch Syria back together in the face of deep misgivings from groups that fear Islamist rule. In March, mass killings of members of the Alawite minority exacerbated the mistrust. Druze, followers of a religion that is an offshoot of Islam, are spread between Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Following calls in Israel to help Druze in Syria, scores of Israeli Druze broke through the border fence on Wednesday, linking up with Druze on the Syrian side, a Reuters witness said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military was working to save the Druze and urged Israeli Druze citizens not to cross the border. The Israeli military said it was working to safely return civilians who had crossed. Israeli Druze Faez Shkeir said he felt helpless watching the violence in Syria. "My family is in Syria - my wife is in Syria, my uncles are from Syria, and my family is in Syria, in Sweida, I don't like to see them being killed. They kicked them out of their homes, they robbed and burned their houses, but I can't do anything," he said. REUTERS
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Trump's approval on immigration falls to lowest level of his term, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds, World News
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's public approval rating on immigration fell in recent weeks to 41 per cent, the lowest since his return to the White House, as Americans took a dour view of heavy-handed tactics, a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Wednesday (July 16) found. The same share of respondents in the two-day poll - 41 per cent - said they approved of Trump's overall performance as president, matching a June 21-23 reading that marked the lowest of Trump's second term so far. Trump's approval rating on immigration was 43 per cent in the June poll. The Republican president has ordered a nationwide campaign to arrest migrants in the country illegally and has vowed to deport millions of people, executing raids at work sites including farms that were largely exempted from enforcement during his first term. The raids often feature masked officials and have provoked dozens of lawsuits. Only 28 per cent of poll respondents said they agreed with a statement that "immigration arrests at places of work are good for the country," compared with 54 per cent who disagreed. Republicans were notably divided, with 56 per cent in favour of workplace raids, 24 per cent opposed and about 20 per cent saying they were unsure. Democrats overwhelmingly disagreed. In one recent immigration raid of a farm in California, one worker died and hundreds were arrested. Republicans were also divided when asked if they agreed with a statement that arrests of immigrants should be carried out like military operations. 60 per cent agreed and 25 per cent disagreed. Overall, just one in three Americans supported the notion, and one in 10 Democrats. Americans were more clearly divided along partisan lines on whether immigration enforcement officials should wear masks during raids. Some 70 per cent of Republicans said they should while the same share of Democrats said they shouldn't. Immigration policy until recently was a strong point for Trump. In Reuters/Ipsos polling on his approval on a range of issues, from foreign policy to taxation, immigration has been the only policy area where his approval reached 50 per cent — hitting that mark in February and March. It has since trended lower, and in the latest poll 51 per cent of respondents said they disapproved of his performance on the issue, 10 points more than the share who liked his approach. Congress passed a spending law this month that provides funding to detain at least 100,000 people, a steep increase over the record 58,000 in custody by late June. The Reuters/Ipsos survey was conducted online and nationwide, gathering responses from 1,027 US adults. It had a margin of error of three percentage points. [[nid:720303]]
