Denmark’s prime minister visits Greenland in show of support amid Trump crisis
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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen walking with Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan 23.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Danish PM Frederiksen visited Greenland to show support after Trump's annexation interest, emphasizing Greenland is not for sale.
- Frederiksen and Rutte discussed NATO's increased Arctic engagement, focusing on defence and security, amid Russian and Chinese threats.
- Talks between the US, Denmark, and Greenland are planned to update the 1951 agreement on US military access, aiming for a calm process.
AI generated
NUUK - Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Greenland on Jan 23 in a show of support for the Arctic island that US President Donald Trump wants to annex.
Walking off her plane at the airport in Greenland’s capital Nuuk, Ms Frederiksen was greeted by Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
The two were seen embracing on the tarmac before driving away.
Mr Frederiksen flew straight to Nuuk from Brussels after meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte earlier in the day to discuss how the military alliance can boost security in the wider Arctic region.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Danish kingdom. The two governments say the island is not for sale and its sovereignty is not up for discussion, but they are open to talks on other topics, such as security and economic development.
A sign in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Jan 20.
PHOTO: AFP
“We are preparing the next steps,” Ms Frederiksen told reporters while walking alongside Mr Nielsen in central Nuuk. “I’m first and foremost here to show our strong support for Greenland’s people as a difficult time.”
Mr Trump said on Jan 22 he had secured total and permanent US access to Greenland after talks with Mr Rutte, who said allies would have to step up efforts to ward off threats from Russia and China.
The US military is already permitted wide access to Greenland under treaties, although Washington has scaled back its presence there since the Cold War to a single small base.
The island’s future has prompted a crisis in transatlantic relations after Mr Trump demanded Greenland become US territory, refused to rule out military force to obtain it and announced new tariffs on European countries that objected.
The crisis subsided after he lifted the threat to use force on Jan 21 and withdrew the proposed tariffs on Jan 22.
“We agree that NATO must increase its engagement in the Arctic. Defence and security in the Arctic is a matter for the entire alliance,” Ms Frederiksen said in a social media post, along with a photo of herself and Mr Rutte in Brussels.
Mr Rutte said he was working with the Danish leader to enhance deterrence and defence.
Denmark’s foreign minister said on Jan 23 that diplomats from Denmark and the US had met in Washington on Jan 22, establishing a plan for how to proceed.
“We will not communicate when those (future) meetings are, because what is needed now is to take the drama out of this... we need a calm process,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
A source familiar with the matter said Mr Rutte and Mr Trump had agreed on further talks between the US, Denmark and Greenland on updating a 1951 agreement that governs US military access and presence on the Arctic island. REUTERS
