Diplomacy… for now. The debate in the White House on the future of the huge island is over without great advances but also without great conflicts. And that is already progress.
The Danish foreign ministers, Lars Løkke Rasmussen and greenlandic, Vivian Motzfeldthave confirmed that “in weeks” a multilateral working group will begin to operate to “see if there is any way to move forward” in three groups and aware that the positions are practically irreconcilable with the US.
Both have met with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the country’s vice president, JD Vance in a meeting that was expected to be tense before. For now, at least, things have not gone so badly and the parties admit to a “cordial” and “frank” meeting, for about 50 minutes.
In the working group that they wanted to advance, the Danish delegation has made it clear that “We will analyze US security concerns and its president, but without crossing the red lines of Denmark“. “Can it be done? I don’t know, but we want to try,” said Rasmussen himself.
Some familiar red lines
In the brief appearance before the journalists stationed at the White House, the two European representatives were clear in admitting what they cannot admit in their negotiation with the United States. Neither Danish territorial integrity nor the right to Greenlandic self-determination will be the subject of debate.
In this regard, the Danish Foreign Minister wanted to warn that his country “continues to believe that the long-term security of Greenland can be guaranteed within the current framework”, against Trump’s positionswhich insists on the need to take control of it to avoid ‘Russian and Chinese’ threats.
“For us, ideas that do not respect the territorial integrity of Denmark or the right to self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable“, he stated.
For building bridges other than
Aware that there is a great “disagreement” with Washington over the obsession with taking over the island, Rasmussen at least congratulated himself that “compared to the public debate, the meeting has been very constructive and had a working atmosphere.”
“Not everything is resolved, but we did not think it would be achieved today,” admitted the Danish minister, who has carried the weight of the joint appearance with his Greenlandic counterpart after a “cordial and frank” meeting where “we have had the opportunity to challenge the narrative presented by the American president“.
Regarding Trump, Rasmussen has alternated criticism and words of some understanding for the security concerns of the American leaderto the point of assuming that “some of them I understand.” However, he has sent a warning, because “it is not easy to advance in solutions If every day you wake up with a new threat“.
