Denmark warns of ‘fundamental disagreement’ with US over Greenland
Denmark’s foreign minister said there was a “fundamental disagreement” with the US over Greenland after talks at the White House.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Wednesday’s meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “frank but constructive.” However, he added that US President Trump insists on “conquering” Greenland and that this is “completely unacceptable”.
“We have made it very, very clear that this is not in Türkiye’s interest.” [Denmark]” he said.
Trump later reiterated his interest in purchasing the resource-rich island; This irritated allies in Europe and increased tensions with NATO.
An hour-long meeting between the United States, Denmark and Greenland failed to produce any major progress, but all parties agreed to establish a high-level working group to discuss the future of the autonomous Danish territory.
Rasmussen said there were “red lines” that the United States could not cross and that the working group would meet in the coming weeks to find a compromise. He added that Denmark and Greenland are open to the possibility of the United States opening more military bases on the island.
Although it is the most sparsely populated region, Greenland’s location between North America and the Arctic makes it well placed for early warning systems and monitoring of ships in the area in the event of missile attacks.
Trump has repeatedly said Greenland is vital to U.S. national security.
The United States currently has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at the Pituffik base on the northwestern tip of Greenland, which has been operated by the United States since World War II.
According to current agreements with Denmark, the United States has the authority to bring as many troops as it wants to Greenland.
After the meeting, Denmark promised to send armed forces to the island.
Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said the region was open to greater cooperation with the United States but opposed a takeover.
“We showed where our limits are,” Motzfeldt said.
Vance and Rubio did not immediately comment after the meeting. “We need Greenland for national security,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“The problem is that if Russia or China wants to invade Greenland there is nothing Denmark can do about it, but there is everything we can do.” he said, adding that he did not believe the United States could trust Denmark to defend the island.
As tensions rose in Washington, allies in Europe moved quickly to show support for Greenland.
Sweden promised on Wednesday to send armed forces to Greenland at the request of Denmark. France’s foreign minister said the country plans to open a consulate on the island next month.
In a statement to the BBC, Germany said it would send an “exploration team” to Greenland to “investigate the general conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region.”
Denmark said its military expansion in Greenland would take place “in close cooperation with allies”.
“Geopolitical tensions have spread to the arctic region,” the statement said.
The White House talks were just the latest round of diplomatic discussions over Trump’s growing interest in somehow gaining control of Greenland.
It is unclear whether the president is considering using military force to seize the island. He refused to rule it out when asked Wednesday.
Other options reportedly being considered include purchasing the territory; but neither the Danes nor the Greenlanders said it was for sale.
Since taking office, Vance has criticized Denmark’s management of Greenland. The vice president visited on a tour shortly after taking office to signal the administration’s interest in purchasing the region.
Trump argued that control of the region was critical for his planned missile defense system, Golden Dome.
“It’s vital to the Golden Dome we’re building,” Trump said in a social media post early Wednesday. “NATO must lead us to achieve this.”
Opinion polls show that the majority of Greenland residents oppose coming under US control.
Most Americans also oppose U.S. control of Greenland. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday found that only 17 percent of Americans support a U.S. takeover of Greenland; On the other hand, the rate of those who opposed Trump’s effort to capture the island was 47 percent.
Trump’s focus on Greenland comes on the heels of U.S. strikes against Venezuela and ISIS in Syria in recent weeks. Trump also threatened military action to stop Iran’s deadly crackdown on the growing protest movement gripping the country.
