Danish leader seeks help from European allies over Greenland
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Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is touring major capitals in Europe and meeting leaders in the wake of boosting defence spending on Greenland.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BERLIN - Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is turning to her European allies for help in dealing with US President Donald Trump’s demands to appropriate Greenland.
The 47-year-old leader is touring the major capitals after injecting 14.6 billion crowns (S$2.7 billion)
Under near daily assault by the new White House, Denmark’s strategy is not to give too much oxygen to Mr Trump’s rhetoric publicly, and it has asked European allies to do the same, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not be named talking about private discussions.
The idea is to downplay the threats and not escalate the matter, the people said.
Mr Trump has made clear that his fixation with Greenland – that harks back to his first term – will not fade away. He insists he wants to take over the world’s largest island for security reasons, and has refused to rule out using force.
Ms Frederiksen visited Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin before meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Jan 28.
In line with the Danish strategy, Ms Frederiksen and Mr Scholz sidestepped any direct mention of the Greenland crisis in their statements to reporters ahead of the talks.
Still, in a thinly veiled reference to the territorial demands made by the US President, Mr Scholz said that the inviolability of borders is a fundamental principle of international law that must by respected by every country.
“The principle must apply – to everyone,” Mr Scholz said, adding: “I also made this clear here a few days ago: Borders must not be moved by force, to whom it may concern.”
The US President has mocked Denmark’s ability to defend the island, which has extensive home rule but no military of its own and is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The US has had an airbase on Greenland since the end of World War II and has the right to increase its military presence there as long as it consults and informs both Denmark and Greenland.
Funds for the new warships will come from Denmark’s existing defence budget, which was increased after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said last week that Denmark, one of the founding members of Nato, may have to spend more than US$70 billion (S$94.7 million) on its military through 2033.
Denmark’s government and most of the opposition parties have agreed to open talks later in 2025 on a second Arctic military package, the ministry said.
“We are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation,” Ms Frederiksen said in Berlin. “Europe, our continent, is based on the idea that cooperation rather than confrontation will lead to peace, to progress, to prosperity and let us honor that idea.” BLOOMBERG
