Greenland's Prime Minister Nielsen to miss opening of new US consulate in Nuuk

Istanbul — Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen will not attend the opening of the United States’ new consulate in Nuuk, the capital of the country, amid strained relations with Washington. In an interview with the Sermitsiaq newspaper on Thursday (21 May), Nielsen said he had decided not to attend the ceremony marking the opening of the consulate building in Nuuk. ‘We have not made a principled decision, but I will not participate,’ Nielsen said. He could not confirm whether other members of his government would be present. Tensions between Greenland and Washington remain high after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed interest in obtaining ownership or control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources and strategically located in the Arctic. On Monday (18 May), Greenland MP Naaja H. Nathanielsen also announced that she had declined invitations to attend events hosted by the U.S. consulate. ‘I have explained it by saying that the situation between our country at this time is difficult,’ Nathanielsen said on Facebook.