London: Greenland and Denmark have drawn a “red line” against American ownership of the Arctic island in face-to-face talks in Washington, just hours after US President Donald Trump stepped up his demands for the territory on social media.
A new working group will be formed to try to break the impasse over security concerns in the far north – with the US, Denmark and Greenland joining – but the high-stakes meeting highlighted the formal rejection of Trump’s claims.
The Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers described the talks as constructive when they emerged from the meeting with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but they admitted that problems were not solved.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, a former prime minister, said he had not expected a solution at the meeting and said the disagreements remained after the talks.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” he said.
“We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom.”
Rasmussen said three-quarters of people in Greenland did not support the US claims and the Greenland government had indicated it wanted to remain within the Kingdom of Denmark.
“This is a common position, that we want to work with our American friends and allies, but it must be respectful cooperation, and it must respect the red lines,” he said.
Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said there were ways to address US concerns about security in the Arctic, but she rejected the proposal for US ownership.
“We are allies. We are friends. We have been cooperating [for] many, many years,” she said at a press conference in the US capital after the meeting with Vance and Rubio.
“We have history together. So it’s all our interest to find the right balances.”
Rasmussen’s use of the word “conquer” to describe the US proposal highlights the concern in Denmark, Greenland and their European neighbours about the suggestion that the US might use force to get the territory, an option Trump has not ruled out.
The leaders of Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Poland issued a statement last week backing Denmark, in a move also supported by Canada.
Trump stepped up his claims to Greenland in the hours before the Washington, DC, meeting and suggested NATO members tell Denmark to agree to American control.
“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,” the president said in a social media post, referring to the US plans for missile defence.
“NATO should be leading the way for us to get it.
“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Trump also referred to the existing defence of Greenland as “two dogsleds” and argued that only the US could ensure its security.
After the White House meeting, Trump said, “Something will work out”.
“Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark,” he said on Thursday morning (AEDT).
“And the problem is 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.”
Some Greenlanders said they were anxious about Trump’s remarks, although others said they did not think the president would launch US military action over the issue.
“We are allies, and I don’t think he’s going to do it,” said Kristian Bernhardtsen, 47, a crane operator who spoke to this masthead in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
Like others, Bernhardtsen said he did not object to the US expanding its military facilities in Greenland – including a space base at Pituffik, formerly known as Thule, which is important for monitoring missile launches.
“It doesn’t make sense saying that he needs Greenland,” Bernhardtsen said.
“He can have bases. We have a base up north, and if he wants to expand it or make other military installations, he’s allowed to. There’s nothing stopping him.”
Denmark ruled Greenland from the early 1800s and still funds many of its services, although the island is now an autonomous region of 57,000 people with their own government. Greenland is one of the three territories of the Kingdom of Denmark, along with the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
With Reuters
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