European leaders warn Trump over US interest in Arctic territory
Kushner and Witkoff reiterated America’s commitment to offer Ukraine a security guarantee against Russian aggression in the event of a peace agreement, but they did not disclose any details about the scale or timeframe of that protection, seen as a key element of a lasting peace.
“This doesn’t mean we will make peace, but peace would not be possible without the progress made here today,” Kushner said.
Danish forces are joining NATO troops in exercises to be held in Greenland in September.Credit: access point
While the result showed progress in defending Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin, concerns about Greenland revealed differences with Trump on the security of Europe.
Although Greenland is a self-governing territory with a parliament and prime minister, it is also part of the Kingdom of Denmark and, from 1951, was subject to a defense agreement between Denmark and the United States that gave the United States broad discretion to build and operate military bases.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an American attempt to seize control of Greenland by force would mean the end of NATO, given that both countries have signed the security agreement.
“If the US chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and therefore the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War,” he told Danish broadcaster TV2.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and French President Emmanuel Macron are in Paris on Tuesday.Credit: Bloomberg
Frederiksen signed the declaration together with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Starmer and Macron.
“NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European allies are stepping up,” the seven leaders said.
“We and many other allies have increased our presence, activities and investments to keep the Arctic safe and deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark – including Greenland – is part of NATO.
“Therefore, security in the Arctic must be ensured collectively, together with NATO allies, including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders.
Donald Trump addresses House Republicans in Washington on Tuesday.Credit: access point
“These are universal principles and we will not stop defending them.”
Carney, who flew to Paris for the meeting on Ukraine, repeated Europe’s message.
“The future of Greenland is a decision for the people of Greenland and Denmark alone to make,” Carney told reporters.
Trump said in his interview: Atlantic Over the weekend, it was said that Greenland was “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships” and would be essential to the security of the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Danish leader Mette Frederiksen at the Canadian embassy in Paris on Tuesday.Credit: access point
“We definitely need Greenland,” he said. “We need this for defense”
Although he has refused to rule it out in the past, he has not said the US would take the region by force, nor has he threatened an imminent move for American control.
But White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller used combative language on Monday to suggest the United States is willing to push for the outcome it wants.
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“No one is going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Miller said.
The fact that the United States operates a large air base and missile defense facility in the northernmost part of Greenland, in accordance with the agreement it made with Denmark in 1951, raises questions among experts as to why the United States should take full control.
Although mineral resources exist in Greenland, their extraction can be costly due to sub-zero conditions, and some projects have been carried out under the region’s current administration.
Arctic Frontiers, an independent group based in Norway, noted the swift response of Scandinavian countries defending Denmark and Greenland against the US president’s claims.
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“The Scandinavians stand as a united front in response to the latest US comments on Greenland,” Anu Fredrikson, the group’s managing director, told this imprint.
“We also see that the language used by the Danish government is more direct and less patient than before.
“A move away from multilateral cooperation could have dire consequences. Security guarantees formed the basis of NATO’s deterrence. What happens to the perception of security guarantees when one ally threatens another?”
