Copenhagen, 7 April 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Greenland's newly elected government, led by Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, officially took office on Monday in the capital Nuuk.

Among the most urgent challenges facing the administration is growing pressure from the United States, with President Donald Trump consistently stating that the large Arctic island should be controlled by the US not Denmark.

As anticipated, the Inatsisartut parliament confirmed Nielsen and his nine-member Cabinet - formed from a four-party coalition - with a broad majority.

Nielsen, 33, leads the centre-right Demokraatit (Democrats), which won Greenland’s parliamentary elections four weeks ago.

He succeeds left-wing prime minister Múte B. Egede, who now takes on the finance and tax portfolio within the new coalition.

At the end of March, Nielsen signed an agreement with leaders from three of the four other parliamentary parties.

Together, the alliance controls just under 75% of the seats in the 31-member Inatsisartut.

Trump still looms large

It has never been more important for Greenland to stand together, Nielsen said after being confirmed.

Trump has cited national and international security concerns as reasons for wanting to acquire Greenland, which is an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Both Egede and Nielsen have firmly rejected the idea.

Greenland - the world’s largest island - is four-fifths covered in ice and home to just under 57,000 people.

During a visit to Greenland last week, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen pushed back strongly against Trump’s remarks.

"You cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about international security," she said.

She added that the US and Denmark were close friends and there was nothing she wanted more than for their friendship to continue.

Photo: EPA