US and Denmark to hold talks

By Khang Mischke

Washington (dpa) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he plans to meet representatives of Denmark next week to discuss Greenland, as President Donald Trump pushes to bring the vast Arctic island under US control.

Speaking to reporters, Rubio did not specify when or where the meeting would take place and declined to say whether US military action to take control of the island was off the table.

Denmark and Greenland had earlier requested talks with the top US diplomat, with Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, saying this week that he was frustrated communication with Washington had largely taken place through the media.

Greenland, home to fewer than 57,000 people and about four-fifths covered by ice, is largely autonomous but formally part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO member.

Trump has long coveted Greenland, the largest island in the world.

US and Denmark tol hold talks

During his first term, he caused diplomatic unease by floating the idea of purchasing the island. His recent remarks have gone further, with the White House and Cabinet officials explicitly declining to rule out the use of military force.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the possibility of acquiring Greenland was actively being discussed by the president and his team.

“All options are always on the table for President Trump as he examines what’s in the best interest of the United States, but I will just say that the president’s first option always has been diplomacy,” she said.

Leavitt had said a day earlier that “utilizing the US military is always an option.”

NATO commitment questioned

Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would “always” stand by NATO, even as European members of the alliance voiced alarm over his increasingly forceful rhetoric on Greenland.

“We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that Russia and China would not “fear” NATO without US participation.

US and Denmark to hold talks

The remarks came as concerns grow in Europe over US commitment to the alliance following Trump’s statement over the weekend that the United States “needs” to control Greenland for security reasons, including competition with China and Russia in the Arctic and access to critical minerals.

Europe pushes back

Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected Trump’s claims on the island. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that a US military move against Greenland or any other NATO member would shatter the alliance.

“If the United States decides to militarily attack another NATO country, then everything would stop – that includes NATO and therefore post-World War II security,” she said this week.

Germany, France and the European Union weighed in once again on Wednesday.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul urged Washington to respect international law, saying the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders enshrined in the UN Charter must be upheld.

US and Denmark to hold talks

Wadephul said Greenland’s future was a matter for its people and the Kingdom of Denmark and that Arctic security issues should be discussed “of course within the NATO framework.” He welcomed Rubio’s announcement of talks with Denmark, calling it “sensible and worthy of support.”

European Council President António Costa also voiced the European Union’s solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

“Greenland belongs to its people,” Costa said at an EU ceremony in Nicosia. “Nothing can be decided about Denmark or Greenland without Denmark, or without Greenland. They have the full support and solidarity of the European Union.”

Costa said the EU could not accept violations of international law and would remain “a firm and unwavering champion of multilateralism.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot echoed the rejection, saying that, as Denmark’s prime minister has stressed, Greenland is not for sale and cannot simply be taken over.

“We no longer live in an era when Louisiana could be bought or sold,” Barrot said. “These attempts at intimidation must therefore stop.”