Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark (Photo credit: AP)
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People protest under the slogan “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders” in front of the US Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark (Photo credit: AP)
Denmark has said Washington’s ambitions to take control of Greenland remain unchanged even as European NATO countries have begun sending military personnel to the strategic Arctic island, a move that has drawn a sharp warning from Russia.The developments came a day after a high-level meeting between U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington failed to resolve what Copenhagen called a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Washington must seize for security reasons.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday that a “working group” would be set up to discuss improving security in the Arctic. However, she emphasized that this does not change the core dispute. “The American ambition to take over Greenland remains,” Frederiksen said, calling the situation “a serious matter” and adding that Denmark would continue its efforts to prevent such a scenario from becoming a reality, according to AFP news agency.Her comments came as France, Germany, Sweden and Norway announced the deployment of military personnel to the Greenland capital of Nuuk as part of a reconnaissance mission. Greenland’s deputy prime minister, Mute Egede, said NATO soldiers would have an increased presence on the island in the coming days, with more military flights and ships, adding that the troops would be “training,” AFP reported.The aim of the mission is to explore options for ensuring security in the Arctic in the face of “Russian and Chinese threats,” the German Defense Ministry said. French President Emmanuel Macron said the first French military personnel were already on the way.Russia reacted strongly: its embassy in Belgium said the growing NATO presence in Greenland was “seriously worrying” and accused the alliance of building up troops under the “false pretext” of threats from Moscow and Beijing.Trump has argued that if the US doesn’t take Greenland, “China or Russia will.” Those comments have fueled tensions within NATO and concern among Greenland residents, some of whom fear they will find themselves at the center of a major geopolitical conflict.
