dpa/afp/rtr/ap | Shortly before talks between Denmark and the USA in the White House, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his claim to Greenland. “Anything else is unacceptable,” Trump wrote on his mouthpiece Truth Social. NATO membership of the territory in the North Atlantic that belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark is not sufficient protection for Greenland, the US President continued.
In doing so, he brushed off a European initiative to strengthen NATO’s presence in the Arctic, with which Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, among others, had tried to defuse the dispute.
“The United States needs Greenland for national security purposes,” Trump wrote. It is essential for the construction of the planned “Golden Dome” missile defense system. NATO should therefore prepare the way for a US takeover of the island, Trump continued. In capital letters, he wrote: “IF WE DON’T DO IT, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL DO IT, AND THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN!”
NATO can only develop an effective deterrent thanks to the USA, Trump wrote, adding that this was thanks to the strengthening of the US armed forces during his first term in office. “NATO will be much more powerful and effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States,” he wrote.
Trump has repeatedly stated for more than a year that he wants to incorporate the largely autonomous Greenland into the USA. It has important natural resources, is six times the size of Germany, but only has about as many inhabitants as the city of Greifswald.
Clear stance from Denmark and Greenland
The governments of Denmark and Greenland have made it clear that a sale or annexation of the territory by the United States is unacceptable. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned of an end to NATO if the US government followed through on its announcements.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt are expected for talks at the White House today (4:30 p.m. CET).
Vance’s participation in conversation raises concern
US Vice President JD Vance also registered at short notice for the conversation with US chief diplomat Marco Rubio, which was originally planned as a meeting of foreign ministers. This raised concerns about a confrontational encounter. Vance is considered a hardliner who played a key role in escalating the talks during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last February.
No German consulate in Greenland
Germany, unlike France, will not currently open a consulate on the autonomous Danish island in view of US President Donald Trump’s claims on Greenland. The embassy in Copenhagen is still responsible for representing the Germans on site, said government spokesman Stefan Kornelius on Wednesday in Berlin when asked. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said that Germany is currently represented by an honorary consul in Greenland.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French broadcaster RTL on Wednesday that the French diplomatic mission in Greenland should start work on February 6th. The US must stop blackmailing Greenland and demanding control of the world’s largest island. The plans for the consulate have been in existence since last year.
Foreign media pounce on Greenlanders
The US President’s demands for annexation have brought unprecedented media attention to Greenland. Shortly before the foreign ministers’ meeting on Wednesday, international journalists and camera teams asked passers-by every few meters in the Greenland capital Nuuk for their opinion on the crisiswhich Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen believes could mean the end of NATO. Greenlanders interviewed insisted on their right to self-determination.
Student Tuuta Mikaelsen told the ap news agency that her compatriots benefited from being part of Denmark. This offers them free healthcare, education and payments during their studies. “I don’t want the USA to take this away from us,” said the 22-year-old. Another passerby told the AP that he had filed a police complaint in Nuuk against Trump’s aggressive behavior.