COPENHAGEN

Several hundred people on Saturday gathered outside the US Embassy in Copenhagen to protest the Donald Trump administration’s stance on Greenland and recent remarks by US Vice President JD Vance regarding American interests in the Arctic territory, the state news media outlet DR reported.

The demonstration took place just a day after Vance and a US delegation visited Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base), located on the northwest coast of Greenland, where he criticized Denmark’s governance of Greenland and hinted at America’s strategic interests in the region.

Both Danish and Greenlandic citizens participated in the protest, holding banners that read "Greenland Not for Sale" and "Back Off, USA." Protesters accused the US of interfering in Greenlandic affairs and warned against any attempts to assert control over the semi-autonomous Arctic territory.

Among the speakers was Mogens Lykketoft, a former Danish foreign minister and ex-president of the UN General Assembly, who called for international action against US rhetoric.

"We must fight our case in the UN, where an overwhelming majority of countries will condemn American aggression against Greenland," Lykketoft told the crowd. "And we must appeal directly for the support of the 70% of Americans who oppose any notion of conquering Greenland. We must never give up."

Also in Aarhus, people turned up on the pedestrian street in the center of the city to protest against the US and show their support for Greenland.

Greenland, the world’s largest island, has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark since the 18th century and was granted home rule in 1979.

Situated between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, it is rich in minerals and strategically located.

Both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposal to sell the territory. A survey conducted in January found that 85% of Greenland’s population opposes joining the US.