Finnish leaders reject Trump's claim over Greenland

HELSINKI - Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Wednesday rejected US President Donald Trump's renewed claim that Greenland should be controlled by the United States, saying matters concerning Greenland fall within the competence of Denmark and Greenland.

Trump said on Tuesday, ahead of a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, that Greenland "should be controlled by the US, not Denmark."

Speaking to Finnish national broadcaster Yle on Wednesday, Stubb said "matters related to Greenland are only in the hands of Denmark." He made the remarks when asked by reporters about Trump's statement.

In a separate interview with Yle, Valtonen dismissed Trump's claim and underlined Finland's unconditional support for Denmark's territorial integrity.

Valtonen said the issue should be handled through existing defense and security arrangements, rather than territorial claims. She pointed to two ongoing processes concerning Arctic security. Denmark and the United States, she said, are in contact over a possible expansion of their mutual defense arrangements. Separately, NATO is working to strengthen security in the Arctic region, of which Greenland is a part.

"We in Finland know especially well that the Arctic is a much wider area than only Greenland," Valtonen said. "Let us focus on these two processes. Their results will then be good and sufficient also for Donald Trump."

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump's repeated remarks about US control over the island have caused concern among European allies and renewed debate over Arctic security, sovereignty and NATO cohesion.