Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said today that Denmark and Greenland will continue to engage in a constructive dialogue on security in the Arctic, provided that this is done with respect for her country's territorial integrity.
It is recalled that US President Donald Trump yesterday withdrew the threat of imposing tariffs on European countries for their stance on the Greenland issue, as he announced that he had agreed to the outline of an agreement with NATO on the future of the huge Arctic island. In addition, Trump ruled out the possibility of using force to occupy Greenland by the US, but demanded that “immediate negotiations” be started for the US to acquire this autonomous Danish territory.
After Trump's meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the US president stated that the US and its European allies will cooperate in the development of the "Golden Dome" anti-missile shield and in mineral extraction in Greenland, blocking the ambitions of Russia and China, based on the draft agreement he reached with the secretary general of the Atlantic Alliance.
Frederiksen said NATO was fully aware of Denmark's position and that she had been informed that Rutte's talks did not involve her country's national sovereignty. "Security in the Arctic is an issue for the entire NATO alliance. It is therefore good and natural that it is the subject of discussions between the NATO secretary general and the US president," the Danish prime minister said in a statement.
"The Kingdom of Denmark wishes to continue a constructive dialogue with its allies on how we can strengthen security in the Arctic, including the 'Golden Dome', provided that this is done with respect for our territorial integrity," he said.
The Danish prime minister stressed that she had "coordinated her efforts" with the Greenland government throughout the discussion. "We have maintained a close dialogue with NATO and I myself have spoken regularly with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, particularly before and after his meeting with President Trump in Davos," she explained.
French Finance Minister: Lifting of tariff threat is "first positive sign"
French Finance Minister Roland Lesquire welcomed today US President Donald Trump's announcement that he was lifting the threat of imposing tariffs on a number of countries over their stance on the Greenland issue.
"This is a first positive sign in the right direction. This is basically what we were looking for. The magic word for the last 48 hours was 'de-escalation'. We are currently in de-escalation," Leskyr told RTL radio, adding, however, that he remains "vigilant."
A timeline of Trump's announcements on the framework agreement
A few hours after his aggressive speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday afternoon, the US president showed a glimmer of de-escalation in his confrontation with Europe over the Greenland issue. In a post on the Truth Social platform, Donald Trump announced that he was withdrawing the threat of imposing tariffs on European countries, citing the achievement of a “framework for a future agreement” for the autonomous Danish territory, following his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"This solution, if completed, will be excellent for the United States of America and for all NATO nations. Based on this understanding, I will not impose the tariffs that were planned," the American president wrote in his post, while he had previously stated in his speech that he (ultimately) does not intend to use military force to acquire Greenland.
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In an interview with CNBC shortly afterwards, Trump said that “we have the (general) idea of a deal.” He said the talks were about broader cooperation in the Arctic, with a focus on Greenland, and were mainly related to security issues.
The US president avoided giving details about the content of the agreement, noting that it is a "fairly complex" framework, which will be presented in detail at a later stage. He stressed that it is a long-term agreement, saying that it "will be in effect forever."
Denmark open to dialogue on Golden Dome after Trump's announcements of "framework agreement" for Greenland
Although he did not mention specific terms, he specifically stated that the agreement under development could include cooperation between the US and its European Allies in the development of the "Golden Dome" anti-missile shield and in mineral mining in Greenland.
Alongside Greenland's strategic location, the United States has repeatedly cited the island's vast – and largely untapped – reserves of rare earths, many of which are critical to technologies such as mobile phones and electric vehicles.
Rutte: The issue of sovereignty was not raised in the discussion
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the issue of Greenland's sovereignty and whether it should remain an autonomous region of Denmark was not raised in his talks with Trump on Wednesday.
Asked by Fox News whether Greenland would remain part of Denmark in a possible future deal, Mr. Rutte said the issue “did not come up in (his) talks with President” Trump. The discussion “focused on what we need to do to protect this huge Arctic region, where changes are underway, where the Chinese and the Russians are increasingly active,” said the Dutch head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
A "British-Cyprus" type plan?
NATO spokeswoman Alison Hart said in a statement after Trump's meeting with Rutte: "Negotiations between Denmark, Greenland and the United States will proceed with the aim of ensuring that Russia and China never gain a foothold – economic or military – in Greenland."
However, one of the two Greenlandic MPs in the Danish parliament questioned why NATO should have any say in the island's mineral wealth. "NATO has no right to negotiate anything without us, Greenland. Nothing for us without us," said Aaja Csenmitch.
According to American media, the potential plan could allow the United States to build more military bases on Greenlandic territory.
Officials attending the NATO meeting on Wednesday told the New York Times that a model for the planned agreement could be similar to the British bases in Cyprus, which are part of the British Overseas Territories.
Under existing agreements with Denmark, the United States can deploy as many military forces as it wishes to Greenland. It already has more than 100 military personnel permanently stationed at Pituffik base, on the territory's northwestern tip.
Distrust in Greenland over the agreement statement
Donald Trump's announcement of a "framework agreement" on the Greenland issue was met with strong skepticism on the autonomous island, part of Denmark, which the US president has made clear he covets.
Greenlanders who spoke to Agence France-Presse in Nuuk, the capital, appeared to maintain their reservations upon hearing the news, or said they did not believe the Republican billionaire.
It's "just a lie. He's lying," said Mikkel Nielsen, a 47-year-old craftsman. "I don't believe anything he says—and I think I'm not the only one," he insisted.
In the Swiss ski resort of Davos, which hosts the World Economic Forum, Mr. Trump assured, without going into details, that he had agreed on the framework of a future agreement for Greenland during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Mr. Rutte had a "very productive discussion" with the American president, a spokeswoman for the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said.
"Who, Trump? I don't believe him," was the reaction of Anak, a nursing assistant, 64 years old.
"Greenland is the land of the Greenlanders. You can't just take it away, for any reason. Certainly not if you're Trump," he added.
Mickey's reaction was similar, who asked that his last name not be published.
"He says one thing and, two minutes later, he says the opposite. It's hard to believe him," the 31-year-old explained.
Source: protothema.gr
