Even after the crisis talks between the USA, Denmark and Greenland There is no solution to the conflict over the Arctic island. There is a “fundamental disagreement” between the parties, said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen after a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance at the White House. Rasmussen was accompanied by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt.
Denmark and the USA still have “different positions,” said Rasmussen. Contrary to statements by US President Donald Trump, it is “absolutely not necessary” for the USA to take over Greenland. Greenland’s security could be guaranteed in the long term even without a takeover by the USA. Proposals that disregard Denmark’s territorial integrity and Greenland’s right to self-determination are “of course totally unacceptable.”
US-Danish working group to continue talks
The meeting came about after “a series of, shall I say, remarkable public statements on the security of Greenland and the Arctic.” “Our goal was to find a common way to increase this security.” Both sides only agreed to set up a working group to find ways to bridge the differences. “The group should, in our view, focus on how to address U.S. security concerns without crossing the Kingdom of Denmark’s red lines,” the foreign minister said. Vance and Rubio did not initially comment on the talks.
Before the meeting, Trump once again emphasized his desire to control Greenland. “The United States needs Greenland for national security reasons,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Anything else is unacceptable.” Trump continued to demand that NATO should pave the way for the US to take over Greenland. “If we don’t do it, Russia or China will do it, and that won’t happen.” Trump had previously stated that he was still seeking to acquire the island and not lease it.
Representatives of the Trump administration had stated several times that the use of the military was not ruled out. In Copenhagen, this is still considered unlikely: it is a “hypothetical” situation, said Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. “But the order is that you must defend the kingdom if you are attacked.”
The politics section – The politics podcast of ZEIT:
After Venezuela – will Trump annex Greenland next?
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Soldiers from Sweden and Germany expected on Greenland
Denmark announced in advance, to increase its military presence on the island. The country is supported by European NATO allies. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that a group of Swedish officers would arrive in Greenland on Wednesday. Norway also announced that it would send several soldiers.
Germany is also taking part in the operation: a transport plane will bring 13 members of the Bundeswehr to the Greenland capital Nuuk on Thursday morning, the Defense Ministry in Berlin announced. A reconnaissance group should explore “framework conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark and ensure security in the region.”
Greenland is the largest island in the world. It was a colony of Denmark until 1953, but is now largely autonomous. However, the former colonial power Denmark continues to decide on areas such as foreign and defense policy. Due to its connection to Denmark, Greenland is also part of NATO. Greenland’s geopolitical role is likely to grow in the futureas shipping in the far north becomes more important as the ice sheet thaws. In addition to the USA, Russia and China also want to increase their presence in the Arctic.
