Danish Foreign Minister Warns Against U.S. Control Over Greenland Amid Trump Discussions
In a controversial statement, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen indicated on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump appears "interested in controlling Greenland," following discussions with American officials at the White House.
Rasmussen stated:
"There is no need for the United States to control Greenland," noting that Denmark has unsuccessfully attempted to alter the U.S. stance.
He added: "We have made it clear that any attempt to intervene on the island would not be in the kingdom's interest."
The Danish minister urged Washington to pursue a respectful and balanced cooperation regarding the Arctic territory, asserting that any infringement on Denmark's territorial integrity or the rights of Greenland's inhabitants to self-determination is completely unacceptable.
Rasmussen clarified that the U.S. already holds significant military capabilities in Greenland under a 1951 defense agreement, but can make additional requests to officially enhance their presence, stating that Denmark will consider these requests while respecting the kingdom's boundaries.
He added: "We have decided to form a high-level working group to find a common path to address U.S. security concerns while respecting Greenland's sovereignty and Denmark's territorial integrity," anticipating the group's first meeting in a few weeks.
The Danish minister dismissed Trump's claims about the presence of Chinese warships off Greenland's coast, stating that intelligence shows the Chinese navy has not approached the island in about a decade.
He remarked: "This was an excellent opportunity for us and Greenland's Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, to refute this erroneous narrative."
Rasmussen confirmed that the meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance was productive and facilitated an open exchange between equal partners, while Motzfeldt emphasized that Greenland seeks to strengthen cooperation with the United States without becoming "its possession."
