Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, has said that a “fundamental disagreement” remains following what he described as “frank and honest talks” at the White House regarding Greenland.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Greenland’s foreign minister, Rasmussen said the aim of the discussions was to find common ground on Arctic security.
According to Rasmussen, it is clear that President Donald Trump has a desire to “take over” Greenland, but he believes the meeting helped shift the U.S. position.
“We made it very, very clear that this is not in Greenland’s interest,” Rasmussen said.
He added that “Denmark is clearly on the right side of history.”
Denmark to Expand Military Presence
Ahead of the press conference, Denmark announced it would “expand” its military presence in Greenland, doing so in close cooperation with its allies.
Earlier, President Trump once again insisted that the United States needs Greenland for “national security”, warning of potential threats from Russia and China in the Arctic region.
Firm Rejection From Copenhagen and Nuuk
Trump’s demands to take control of the island have been firmly rejected by both Greenland’s leadership and the Danish government. Denmark is a NATO member, while Greenland remains a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Officials in Copenhagen have repeatedly stressed that Greenland’s future can only be decided by its people, dismissing any notion of foreign control.
