Denmark has welcomed a meeting with the US next week to discuss President Donald Trump’s renewed call for Greenland to come under American control.
Danish Defence Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen told a Danish broadcaster that this is the dialogue that is needed, “as requested by the government together with the Greenlandic government.”
An urgent meeting had been requested by the Foreign Ministers of Greenland and Denmark, which has said that any invasion or seizure of the territory by its NATO ally would mark the end of the western military alliance and “post-second world war security.”
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio had said on yesterday that a meeting about the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island of Greenland would happen next week, without giving details about timing, location or participants.
Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill, “I’m not here to talk about Denmark or military intervention,” adding, “I’ll be meeting with them next week, we’ll have those conversations with them then.”
Greenland’s government has told the Danish public broadcaster that Greenland will participate in the meeting between Denmark and the US announced by Rubio
Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt stated, “Nothing about Greenland without Greenland. Of course we will be there. We are the ones who requested the meeting.”
US Vice President, JD Vance said on Wednesday that Denmark “obviously” had not done a proper job in securing Greenland and that Trump “is willing to go as far as he has to” to defend American interests in the Arctic.
In an interview, Vance repeated Trump’s claim that Greenland is crucial to both the US and the world’s national security because “the entire missile defense infrastructure is partially dependent on Greenland.”
He said the fact that Denmark has been a faithful military ally of the US during World War Two 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.’”
Vance’s comments came after Rubio told a select group of US lawmakers that it was the Republican administration’s intention to eventually purchase Greenland, as opposed to using military force.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the U.K. joined Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Tuesday in defending Greenland’s sovereignty in the wake of Trump’s comments about Greenland, which is part of the NATO military alliance.
Similarly, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, said yesterday, “Greenland belongs to its people.”
“Nothing can be decided about Denmark and about Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland. They have the full solid support and solidarity of the European Union.”
Antonio Costa
Most Greenlanders Wish For Self-determination
Aaja Chemnitz, one of the two Greenlandic politicians in the Danish parliament, told a news agency that most Greenlanders “wish for more self-determination, including independence” but also want to “strengthen cooperation with our partners” in security and business development as long as it is based on “mutual respect and recognition of our right to self-determination.”
Chemnitz denied a claim by Trump that Greenland is “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place.”
She noted that Greenland is “a longstanding ally and partner to the US and we have a shared interest in stability, security, and responsible cooperation in the Arctic.”
She added that there is an agreement with the US “that gives them access to have bases in Greenland if needed.”
After Vance’s visit to Greenland last year, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen published a video detailing the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the US.
Rasmussen said that the 1951 agreement “offers ample opportunity for the United States to have a much stronger military presence in Greenland.” He added, “If that is what you wish, then let us discuss it.”
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