On Thursday, Greenland’s legislators reached an agreement to establish a new government, joining forces under increased pressure and fresh threats from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the potential annexation of this Danish-controlled Arctic territory.

Four out of the five political parties that won seats in Greenland’s Parliament last month have decided to join forces in a coalition government. This new alliance will hold 23 out of the 31 available seats in the legislative body. Local news outlets report that the formal signing of this agreement is scheduled for Friday.

The accord arrives as Trump escalates and strengthens his endeavors to secure dominance over the Arctic territory “by one means or another.”

US Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to arrive in Greenland on Friday. He will be visiting the US’ Pituffik Space Base alongside his wife – Usha Vance – which supports missile surveillance and defence operations.

Initially, Usha was planning to make the trip alone, but on Wednesday, JD declared that he would join her so she wouldn’t have “all that fun by herself.”

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who leads the Demokraatit party—the largest faction in parliament—has been determined to establish a wide-ranging coalition. Following his center-right party’s unexpected triumph in the elections held on March 11, Nielsen has maintained that swift formation of a coalition is crucial to counteract American pressures.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede has strongly criticized Vance’s planned visit, labeling it as “highly provocative.”

“Up until recently, we could confidently depend on the Americans, who were our allies and friends, and with whom we enjoyed working very closely,” stated Egede to the local press.

“But those times are gone, we must acknowledge this, as the new American leadership is entirely and thoroughly unconcerned with what we have collectively upheld until now. It seems they merely want to take control of our country without us having any say,” he further stated.

Trump covets Greenland, a self-governing region of Denmark, because it has rich mineral deposits and straddles strategic air and sea routes at a time when the US, Russia and China are all vying for position in the Arctic.

Putin isn’t taken aback by the revived U.S. interest in Greenland.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Donald Trump’s interest in controlling Greenland was not unexpected, considering the United States’ longstanding fascination with the island due to its rich mineral deposits.

At a policy discussion held in the Arctic city of Murmansk, Putin pointed out that the U.S. contemplated acquiring control over Greenland as far back as the 19th century, before later attempting to purchase it from Denmark following World War II.

“It might appear astonishing initially but it would be mistaken to think this is merely flamboyant rhetoric from the present US administration,” Putin stated.

It is clear that the United States will keep advancing its geopolitical, military-political, and economic interests in the Arctic region.

Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that the United States should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of Denmark, a US ally and NATO member.

Serving as the maritime entry point to the Arctic and North Atlantic routes leading to North America, Greenland holds significant strategic importance due to China’s and Russia’s interest in utilizing its waterways and exploiting its natural resources.

Putin stated that Russia is concerned about NATO’s actions in the Arctic and plans to counter this by bolstering its own military presence in the area.

“We are certainly concerned about NATO members describing the Far North as the region of possible conflicts,” he said, noting that Russia’s neighbours Finland and Sweden have joined the alliance.

Russia has not posed a threat to anyone in the Arctic region; however, we will keep a close watch on the unfolding events and respond appropriately by enhancing our military capabilities and updating our military installations.

Russia has aimed to extend its control across large parts of the Arctic, contending with the United States, Canada, Denmark, and Norway. This rivalry emerges as global warming causes polar ice to melt, thereby opening up fresh possibilities for accessing natural resources and establishing new maritime pathways.

China has likewise demonstrated growing interest in the area, thought to contain as much as one-quarter of the planet’s untapped oil and natural gas resources.

“We will not tolerate any violations of our nation’s sovereignty, firmly protect our national interests, and at the same time advocate for peace and stability in the polar regions,” Putin stated.

As he committed to bolstering Russia’s military presence in the Arctic, Putin emphasized that the Kremlin remains open to wider international collaboration in the area.