DENMARK cannot negotiate on its sovereignty over Greenland, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said today.

Her remarks followed US President Donald Trump claiming that he had agreed a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte.

Ms Frederiksen said she had been “informed that this has not been the case.”

On Wednesday, Mr Trump abruptly scrapped the tariffs he had threatened to impose on eight European nations to support his campaign to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Nato member Denmark. 

This dramatic reversal came shortly after he insisted he wanted to obtain the island, “including right, title and ownership.”

The US president said that “additional discussions” on Greenland were being held concerning the Golden Dome missile defence programme, a multilayered, $175 billion (around £131bn) system that will put US weapons in space for the first time. 

He offered few details, saying they were still being worked out.

Ms Frederiksen said in a statement today that security in the Arctic is a matter for all of Nato and it was “good and natural” that it be discussed between the US president and the head of Nato. 

She said that she had spoken to Mr Rutte “on an ongoing basis,” including before and after he met Mr Trump in Davos.

The prime minister added that Nato was fully aware of Denmark’s position that anything political can be negotiated on, including security, investment and economic issues, “but we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty.”

She said: “I have been informed that this has not been the case,” adding that only Denmark and Greenland can make decisions on issues that concern them.

Ms Frederiksen said that Denmark wants to continue constructive dialogue with allies on how to strengthen security in the Arctic, including the US Golden Dome programme, “provided that this is done with respect for our territorial integrity.”

Nato spokeswoman Allison Hart said Mr Rutte had not presented any compromise proposals regarding Greenland’s sovereignty to Mr Trump.

According to the Reuters news agency, she said the secretary-general “did not propose any compromise to sovereignty during his meeting with the president in Davos.”

This followed an earlier report from Axios, citing two sources, that the draft agreement on Greenland proposed by Mr Rutte to Mr Trump provides for Denmark retaining sovereignty over the island while updating the terms of the 1951 defence agreement between the two countries.