Denmark and US clash over Arctic security concerns

Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said there were ways to address US concerns about security in the Arctic but rejected the suggestion of US ownership.

“We are allies. We are friends. We cooperate.” [for] for many years,” he said at a news conference in the US capital after meeting with Vance and Rubio.

“We have a history together, so it’s important for us to find the right balances.”

Rasmussen’s use of the word “conquer” to describe the US proposal highlights the concerns of Denmark, Greenland and their European neighbors over the suggestion that the US could use force to seize the region; Trump did not rule out this option.

Trump did not attend the meeting with ministers from Denmark and Greenland, but responded to the talks by suggesting there might be a way to resolve the issue.

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“Greenland is very important to national security, including Denmark,” the President said in his statement after Vance and Rubio’s meetings.

“If Russia or China wants to invade Greenland, there is nothing Denmark can do about it. But there is everything we can do.”

Trump said the United States had a “very good” relationship with Denmark and that he would be informed about the meeting. He added: “I think things will work out.”

The leaders of Germany, Spain, France, Britain, Italy and Poland issued a statement last week supporting Denmark, a move also supported by Canada.

NATO allies are stepping up their commitments in the Arctic following Trump’s complaints that European member states are not doing enough on defense.

Germany plans to send troops to Greenland this week, a government spokesman told Reuters.

Sweden and Norway have also announced similar moves, while NATO members in Europe also have proposals for a joint military operation called Arctic Sentry to underline their commitment to Greenland and the Arctic.

France announced that it will open a consulate in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, next month.

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The future of the NATO alliance will be at stake if Trump attempts to take Greenland by force, given that Denmark is a member of the alliance.

Hours before the meeting, Trump stepped up his claims to Greenland and suggested that NATO members tell Denmark to accept American control.

Referring to the USA’s missile defense plans in his social media post, the President said, “The USA needs Greenland for National Security purposes. This is vital for the Golden Dome we are building.”

“NATO must lead us to achieve this. When Greenland is in US hands, NATO becomes much more formidable and effective. Anything less is unacceptable.”

Trump also called Greenland’s current defenses a “two dog sled” and argued that only the United States could ensure its security.

While some Greenlanders said they were concerned about Trump’s statements, others said they did not think the president would initiate US military action on the issue.

“We are allies and I don’t think he will do this,” said crane operator Kristian Bernhardtsen, 47, speaking to this outlet in Nuuk.

Like others, Bernhardtsen said he did not object to the US expanding its military facilities in Greenland; This includes the spaceport at Pituffik, formerly known as Thule, which is important for monitoring missile launches.

“It doesn’t make sense to say it needs Greenland,” Bernhardtsen said.

“He may have bases. We have a base in the north and if he wants to expand it or build other military facilities, that’s allowed. There’s nothing to stop him.”

Denmark has governed Greenland since the early 1800s and still funds most of the island’s services, although it is now an autonomous region of 57,000 people with its own government. Greenland is one of the three regions of the Kingdom of Denmark, along with the Faroe Islands and Denmark.

via Reuters