Denmark and Greenland's envoys to Washington met with the US administration, requesting them to withdraw President Donald Trump’s “takeover” call of the Arctic island.
Denmark's ambassador, Jesper Møller Sørensen, and Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenland's chief representative to Washington, met on Thursday with White House National Security Council officials to discuss a renewed push by Trump to acquire Greenland, perhaps by military force, reported the media. The White House did not make any remark on the meeting news yet.
The envoys have also held a series of meetings this week with American lawmakers as they look to enlist help in persuading Trump to back off his threat. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet next week with Danish officials.
In a statement, published by a media house, Trump states that he has to possess the entirety of Greenland instead of just exercising a long-standing treaty, which will provide the US with a wide latitude to use Greenland for military posts.
“I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can't do with, you're talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document.”
The US is party to a 1951 treaty that gives it broad rights to set up military bases there with the consent of Denmark and Greenland.
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance, speaking to the media, asked the European leaders to “take Trump seriously” as he framed the issue as one of defence.
“What we're asking our European friends to do is take the security of that landmass more seriously, because if they're not, the United States is going to have to do something about it,” Vance said.
Speaking to another media outlet, Vance further repeated Trump's claim that Greenland is crucial to both the US and the world's national security because "the entire missile defence infrastructure is partially dependent on Greenland.” He said the fact that Denmark has been a faithful military ally of the US during World War II and the more recent “war on terrorism” did not necessarily mean they were doing enough to secure Greenland today.
“Just because you did something smart 25 years ago doesn't mean you can't do something dumb now,” Vance said, adding that Trump "is saying very clearly, you are not doing a good job with respect to Greenland.'”
The island of Greenland, 80 per cent of which lies above the Arctic Circle, is home to about 56,000 mostly Inuit people.
“This is the dialogue that is needed, as requested by the government together with the Greenlandic government,” Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told a local media outlet.
“Many Greenlanders feel that the remarks made are disrespectful. Many also experience that these conversations are being discussed over their heads. We have a firm saying in Greenland, Nothing about Greenland, without Greenland,” Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two Greenlandic politicians in the Danish parliament, said.
Chemnitz denied a claim by Trump that Greenland is "covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”
Greenland is “a long-standing ally and partner to the US and we have a shared interest in stability, security, and responsible cooperation in the Arctic,” she said, adding, “There is an agreement with the US that gives them access to have bases in Greenland if needed.”
France's President Emmanuel Macron has denounced the “law of the strongest” that is making people “wonder if Greenland will be invaded.” In a speech to French ambassadors at the Elysee presidential palace on Thursday, Macron said, “It's the greatest disorder, the law of the strongest, and everyday people wonder whether Greenland will be invaded, whether Canada will be under the threat of becoming the 51st state (of the United States) or whether Taiwan is to be further circled.”
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