Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Lökke Rasmussen said on Wednesday after negotiations in the United States on Greenland that the positions of the two sides regarding the future of this Danish autonomous territory continue to differ. According to him, it is obvious that US President Donald Trump he wants to “conquer” Greenlandbut the representatives agreed at the meeting to continue the dialogue. TASR informs about it according to The Guardian.
Rasmussen described the discussion as honest and constructive. According to him, the main topic was security long-term security of Greenland. The meeting in Washington was attended by US Vice President JD Vance, the head of US diplomacy Marco Rubio and Greenlandic Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldtová. “It’s clear that the president (Trump) wants to conquer Greenland. We have made it very clear that this is not in the interest of the Kingdom of Denmark“, Rasmussen declared.
However, the head of Danish diplomacy “continues to believe that the long-term security of Greenland can be ensured within the current frameworkHe emphasized that Denmark and Greenland consider “any ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of Denmark and the right of the Greenlandic people for self-determination’ as ‘absolutely unacceptable’. At the meeting, representatives of both parties agreed to establish a high-level working group. It will focus on US Arctic security concerns while respecting Denmark’s red lines.
According to the head of Danish diplomacy, the first meeting could take place “in a few weeks”. US President Donald Trump repeatedly says, that he wants to acquire Greenland, justifying this interest by US national security needs and also by trying to prevent Russia and China from seizing it. He did not rule out the use of military force to achieve this goal.
Rasmussen emphasized at Wednesday’s meeting that there are no immediate threats from China and Russia that Denmark, Greenland and their allies cannot handle on their own. Both ministers also conveyed to the American side that it is difficult to find solutions to American security concerns in the Arctic, when new threats are coming from the US side every day.
Denmark announced on Wednesday, ahead of the talks in Washington, that it would immediately strengthen its military presence in Greenland. Soldiers from Norway, Sweden and France will also take part in the announced exercises on the island. Germany also confirmed the dispatch of a 13-member reconnaissance unit. In the meantime, leaders of political groups in the European Parliament expressed their support for Greenland and Denmark in the dispute with the USA. According to them, all attempts to violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland would be a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
