Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated that Denmark and the USA hold "fundamentally differing positions" regarding Greenland, adding that this was a topic of discussion with high-ranking US officials on the evening of January 14. He also called for cooperation based on respect and noted that the establishment of a working group is aimed at exploring possibilities for compromise. This compromise should take into account both US security interests and the "red lines" of the Danish kingdom. The first meeting of the new group is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Vivian Motzfeldt, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greenland, who attended the negotiations, expressed a desire to improve cooperation with the USA, but noted that she does not support the idea of Greenland coming under American control.
The negotiations took place in a government building near the White House and lasted about an hour. According to the dpa agency, even before the meeting began, Donald Trump made it clear that he did not intend to back down from his demands "by a millimeter."
The US President believes that Greenland is important for national security, especially in the context of the operation of the "Iron Dome" missile defense system and ensuring security in the Arctic, where, according to him, the activities of Russia and China have intensified.
Previously, Trump claimed that Washington should gain control over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, "one way or another." The White House also reported that the use of the US military to annex Greenland is "one of the options" for Trump.
Meanwhile, Germany may send its first soldiers to Greenland as early as this week. Sources from BILD in Germany and Scandinavian countries reported plans to send a small advance unit of the Bundeswehr, but the German Ministry of Defense has not yet confirmed this information. According to BILD, the deployment could take place as early as tomorrow, January 15.
The official expansion of military presence in Greenland is being framed as an initiative of NATO European countries, but it has been revealed that coordination is being carried out through Copenhagen, rather than through alliance structures. The goal is to conduct the mission without US involvement, as the northern NATO countries are under the command of the alliance in Norfolk.
Denmark has also announced an expansion of its military contingent in Greenland, which may be joined by other European allies. Germany is considering the participation of specialized mountain troops, naval forces, and the Luftwaffe.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that Swedish officers have already arrived in Greenland to prepare for the Danish exercises "Arctic Resilience."
Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, in an article for Die Zeit, called on NATO countries to jointly defend Greenland and the Arctic from the influence of Russia and China, emphasizing that unilateral actions by the USA undermine the foundations of the alliance.
