US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Greenland was “very important” for national security, following a meeting with Greenlandic and Danish diplomats hosted by Vice President JD Vance in Washington.
Trump, who didn’t attend the talks, said: “There’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela.”
Denmark and other Nordic countries have said Trump’s claims of Russian or Chinese activity near Denmark are unfounded. In any case, if the autonomous Danish territory were to be attacked, under NATO’s Article 5, the US would be obliged to come to its defense. The US also maintains a military base on Greenland.
In recent days, Denmark announced military exercises in Greenland, while earlier this week NATO chief Mark Rutte said that the alliance would begin working on bolstering its Arctic defense strategy.
However, none of this has yet to appease Trump’s fixation on putting Greenland under US control.
Trump did appear to strike a conciliatory tone for the first time in comments on Wednesday.
“I have a very good relationship with Denmark, and we’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out,” Trump said without explaining further.
After leaving the White House on Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said a US takeover of Greenland was “absolutely not necessary.”
“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” Rasmussen told reporters. “We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree.”
Rasmussen added that the tone of the meeting was “constructive” and that a committee would be formed to meet within weeks to find a “common way forward.”
‘Fundamental disagreement’ over Greenland remains
According to Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, “perspectives continue to differ” after a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the future of Greenland.
“We still have a fundamental disagreement,” Rasmussen said in a joint presser with Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt after the talks in Washington.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position,” Rasmussen said of President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US should take control of Greenland.
He did, however, say they agreed to form a “high-level” working group with the US to explore if it is possible to find a “common way forward.”
“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Rasmussen told reporters.
It is “absolutely not necessary” for the US to seize Greenland, the Danish minister stressed.
Meanwhile, Motzfeldt said that she wanted to strengthen cooperation with the United States but that Greenland did not want to be owned by the US.
Trump has clear wish of ‘conquering’ Greenland — Rasmussen
Here are more quotes from the joint press conference of Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen:
- “We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president [Trump] has this wish of conquering Greenland. And we made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the [Danish] kingdom.”
- “It is in everybody’s interest — even though we disagree — that we agree to try to explore whether it is doable to accommodate some of the concerns while at the same time respecting the integrity of the Danish kingdom’s territory and the self-determination of the Greenlandic people.”
- “Even though our view on the situation right now around Greenland differs from public statements in the US, we share the concerns in the longtime perspective.”
France to take part in European military mission to Greenland — report
According to the AFP news agency, citing information from the military, France will send soldiers to join a European mission in Greenland alongside other nations. Further details were not provided.
Earlier in the day, Sweden, Norway, and Germany announced plans to deploy military personnel to the island.
This development follows Denmark’s statement that it will immediately increase its military presence in and around Greenland.
Greenland Deputy Prime Minister Mute Egede said Wednesday that “soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from today and in the coming days” for “training.”
He added there would also be more military flights and ships.
Egede spoke to reporters after a meeting at the White House with US, Danish and Greenlandic officials and as US President Donald Trump continues to insist the US needs to control the Arctic island. Trump claims that only the US can adequately defend the strategically located island.
Denmark has taken steps in recent days to increase military presence in Greenland, and has called for military exercises that will include aircraft, vessels and soldiers. Sweden said it would participate. On Wednesday, Germany and France both said they would send troops to Greenland for exercises.
Denmark says it has invested almost $14 billion in Arctic security. Trump has derided the efforts to increase security for Greenland as amounting to “two dogsleds.”
