NATO and the Greenlandic government said on Monday they would work to strengthen the Danish region’s defenses in a bid to deter US President Donald Trump from annexing the island.
On Sunday, President Trump further stoked tensions and mocked the island’s defenses, saying the United States would take the territory “one way or another.” It consisted only of “two dog sleds”.
Faced with the possibility of armed annexation, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen is pinning his hopes on NATO, the US-led military alliance.
“Our national security and defense belong to NATO. This is our fundamental and decisive policy,” Nielsen said in a social media post.
The government will therefore “strive to ensure defense development in and around Greenland takes place in close cooperation with NATO, dialogue with allies, including the United States, and cooperation with Denmark,” it added.
NATO Chief Mark Rutte also said on Monday that the alliance is working on “next steps” to strengthen security in the Arctic.
NATO diplomats said some alliance members were considering ideas, including the possibility of launching new missions in the region.
Discussions are at an early stage, and no concrete proposals have been put on the table so far.
President Trump has argued that Denmark’s autonomous territory is critical to national security and that Greenland should be brought under U.S. control.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that if Washington presses ahead with an armed attack on Greenland, it could mean the end of NATO.
To appease Washington, Copenhagen is investing heavily in regional security, allocating around 90 billion kroner (11 billion euros) for 2025.
Greenland, with a population of approximately 57,000 people, is vast and rich in important mineral resources, most of which are undeveloped and considered strategically located.
After World War II and during the Cold War, the island was home to several US military bases, but only one remains.
Rutte said Denmark would have no problem with a large-scale U.S. military presence on the island.
Under the 1951 treaty, updated in 2004, the United States only had to notify Denmark if it wanted to send additional troops.
diplomatic front
Denmark is also working on the diplomatic front, with talks scheduled this week between Danish and Greenlandic representatives and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting is scheduled to be held in Washington on Wednesday, according to US and Danish media reports.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lökke Rasmussen posted on Monday a photo of his meeting with Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.
According to reports, Denmark wants to present a united front with the region’s leaders before meeting with the U.S. delegation.
Last week, Danish media reported a tense video conference between Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers over how to negotiate with Washington.
In the face of Trump’s repeated threats, Nielsen said in a message Monday that he “understands the concerns.”
Nuuk’s government said in a statement on Monday that the U.S. takeover of Greenland was “unacceptable under any circumstances.”
Greenland, a Danish colony until 1953, gained autonomy 26 years later and is considering eventually loosening ties with Denmark.
Opinion polls show Greenlanders strongly oppose a U.S. takeover.
“We have been a colony for many years. We are not ready to become a colony and be colonized again,” fisherman Julius Nielsen told AFP over the weekend.
And it was revealed on Monday that a bipartisan US Congressional delegation will head to Copenhagen later this week in a show of solidarity between the US and Denmark.
Sen. Chris Coons will lead the trip with at least nine members of Congress, and the group is scheduled to visit Copenhagen on Friday and Saturday, according to a congressional aide with knowledge of the trip’s plans.
Additional sources of information • AP, AFP