Officials from Denmark and Greenland said they have a “fundamental disagreement” with US President Donald Trump over annexation of Greenland by the US.
Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, had met with US Vice President, JD Vance, and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, in the White House on January 14.
Addressing the press after the meeting, Rasmussen said they couldn’t “manage to change to American position”. “It’s clear that the President wants to conquer Greenland. We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree,” he said, adding that they had “made it very clear to the US dignitaries that this is not in the interest of the Kingdom”.
Also Read: Annexing Greenland must to deter Russia, China: Trump
Greenland’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mute Egede, agreed, saying they were “facing a geopolitical crisis”, and that if they had to choose between the United States and Denmark “here and now”, they’d choose Denmark.
“Soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from today and in the coming days for training,” Egede said.
While Vance described the talks as “frank and constructive”, Rubio said “Greenland is strategically vital” and that the US needs to ensure that “it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands”.
Trump, who did not attend the talks, said later that “there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland”, but that “there’s everything we can do”. “You found that out last week with Venezuela,” he threatened.
The European Parliament leaders issued a joint statement to express their stand, saying “these (America’s) demands constitute a blatant challenge to international law, to the principles of the United Nations Charter, and to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a NATO ally”, and urged the EU to provide “strong and tangible support” to Greenland and Denmark, reiterating that “decisions concerning Denmark and Greenland belong to Denmark and Greenland alone”.
Sweden, Norway, Germany, and France have all pledged to send troops to participate in military exercises in Greenland. Trump later seemed to have softened his stance and tone down the threats, saying he had a “very good relationship with Denmark”, and they’ll see how “it all works out”. “I think something will work out,” he said.
Tensions between the US, the EU, and other NATO allies have surged in recent weeks, with US leadership attempting to pressure Denmark over seizing Greenland.
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