(AFP) – NATO and Greenland’s government on Monday said they intended to work on strengthening the defence of the Danish autonomous territory, hoping to dissuade US President Donald Trump from trying to seize the island. Trump has been talking up the idea of buying or annexing the Arctic territory for years, and further stoked tensions on Sunday by saying that the United States would take the territory “one way or the other”.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Monday that the island’s security and defence “belong in NATO”, the 32-member military alliance dominated by the US. He said his government would “therefore work to ensure that the development of defence in and around Greenland takes place in close cooperation with NATO, in dialogue with our allies, including the United States, and in cooperation with Denmark”. NATO chief Mark Rutte also said Monday that the alliance was working on “the next steps” to bolster Arctic security.
Diplomats at NATO say some alliance members have floated the idea of launching a new mission in the region, though no concrete proposals are yet on the table. Trump has insisted that Greenland needs to be brought under US control, arguing that the Danish autonomous territory is crucial for national security. The island is also rich in largely untapped resources, including rare earth minerals coveted by the tech industry.
On the streets of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, locals told AFP they were increasingly worried. “We laughed at Trump first when he tried to buy us but now the second time he’s more aggressive,” said 35-year-old theology student Nuunu Binzer. Mininnguaq Fontain, 19, also a student, added: “I would rather see our country doesn’t have any soldiers but of course if we get attacked then I would feel more safe if soldiers are here.”
– ‘Unease’ – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that a US armed attack on Greenland would spell the end of NATO. In a bid to appease Washington, Copenhagen has invested heavily in security in the region, allocating some 90 billion kroner ($14 billion) in 2025. Greenland, which is home to some 57,000 people, also houses a US military base. According to Rutte, Denmark would have no problem with a larger US military presence on the island.
Under a 1951 treaty, updated in 2004, the United States could simply notify Denmark if it wanted to send more troops. Denmark is also working on the diplomatic front, with a meeting between Danish and Greenlandic representatives and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expected this week. According to US and Danish media reports, the meeting is set to take place on Wednesday in Washington. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Monday posted a photo from a meeting with his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt. Denmark reportedly wants to present a united front with the leaders of the autonomous territory before the meeting with US representatives.
The Danish media reported last week on a tense videoconference between Danish lawmakers and their Greenlandic counterparts over how to negotiate with Washington. Facing Trump’s repeated threats, Nielsen said in his message on Monday: “I fully understand if there is unease.” His government said in a statement that it could not accept “under any circumstance” a US takeover of Greenland. A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained home rule 26 years later and is contemplating eventually loosening its ties with Denmark. Polls show that Greenland’s people strongly oppose a US takeover.
– Pierre-Henry DESHAYES
© 2024 AFP
