Washington, DC— U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Angus King (I-ME), Co-Chairs of the U.S. Senate Arctic Caucus, led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation mission to Greenland this past weekend to reinforce relations and respect with the people of the Arctic nation. The trip comes as the American administration has threatened to annex, buy or otherwise take over the island nation.

Together with Arctic Caucus and national security committee members Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the lawmakers spent the weekend in Nuuk meeting with the Prime Minister and members of his cabinet, members of Parliament, Inuit leaders, Danish military leaders from Joint Arctic Command, and other Arctic officials.

Prior to their arrival in Greenland’s capital, the Senators also traveled 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle to visit troops and meet with military leaders stationed at Pituffik Space Force Base in Northern Greenland, the United States’ northern-most military base in the world.

“Since World War II, Greenland, Denmark, and the United States have stood alongside each other as true allies amid an ever-changing global landscape,” said Senator Murkowski. “Greenland has made it clear that it welcomes further partnership with the United States, whether through strengthening economic, military, or diplomatic ties. However, deepening that relationship will rely heavily on rebuilding trust, and recognizing Greenland’s autonomy and the sovereignty of Denmark. We must remember that genuine progress is not achieved through coercion, but rather through mutual respect. My colleagues and I are grateful for the warm reception we received from Greenlanders and look forward to opportunities to continue this important dialogue.

“Our message to the Greenlandic people is respect for their territorial rights and self-determination,” said Senator King. “My colleagues and I traveled to Greenland to reaffirm our commitment and support for their interest in managing their own affairs in tandem with the Kingdom of Denmark while continuing the longstanding partnership with the United States to ensure the safety and security of our homeland and our NATO allies. Our national security is dependent on maintaining friendly relationships with our allies, not the acquisition, annexation, or invasion of their territory.”

“To me, there are three core elements to protecting our national security. We need a strong economy, a strong military, and strong allies,” said Senator Peters.“Greenland and Denmark have been essential allies in advancing our shared economic and security goals, but unfortunately President Trump’s recent actions have broken that trust. During this visit, our congressional delegation reaffirmed the United States’ respect for Greenland’s right to self-determination and commitment to maintaining our invaluable partnership as NATO allies.”

“I joined this bipartisan visit to Greenland to help show the world that the freedom-loving majority of Americans know that the NATO alliance is critical to keeping our country safe, secure, and free,” said Senator Hassan. “As President Trump appeases adversaries like Putin, it’s particularly important to make clear that real strength means standing by one’s friends and against one’s foes, not the other way around.”

Last month, the Senators hosted a delegation from the Kingdom of Denmark to emphasize the importance of deescalating tensions following recent comments from the executive administration about acquiring Greenland.

For b-roll of the trip, please click here.

  greenland, murkowski, nuuk, visit