Europe’s rejection of the US president, Donald Trump, and his demand to take over Greenland has had a major impact on the fact that there is now hope for an amicable solution.
So says Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M).
The announcement comes after Thursday’s meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, where Greenland was part of the agenda.
– I gave a briefing on where we are. It was in a secure room without mobile phones so that it could be confidential, so it makes no sense for me to share details here, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
However, he emphasizes that he used the opportunity to thank the other EU countries for their support for Denmark and Greenland.
– First and foremost, I have used the day to thank them for the great solidarity. That has been important.
– I have no doubt at all that when we are now back where we were 15 days ago, where we can have a civilized negotiation process with the Americans, it is, among other things, because Europe has said no, says Løkke.
He also points out that members of the US Congress have clearly rejected Trump’s ideas about annexing Greenland.
– The American business community and the stock market also reacted. I believe there are many things that have meant that the American president a few days ago said that what was agreed with Rubio and Vance is the recipe we are following, says Løkke.
He is thereby referring to a decisive meeting in Washington in the middle of January.
There, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, together with Greenland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt, met the US vice president, J.D. Vance, and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
At the meeting, the parties agreed to set up a working group that would meet American security interests and respect Denmark and Greenland’s no to an American annexation of Greenland.
On Wednesday, the first meeting of the working group was held at permanent secretary level on the Danish and Greenlandic side.
On the opposite side of the table sat, according to Løkke, representatives from both the US State Department and the vice president’s office.
– They were constructive discussions, and it has been agreed that they will meet again, says Løkke.
He does not wish to go into detail about what was discussed at the meeting, but emphasizes that Denmark shares the US security concerns in the Arctic, where both Russia and China want a greater presence.
In order to find a solution, Denmark is ready to expand the defense agreement with the US on Greenland from 1951.
– 1951 is a number of years ago. Drones did not exist back then, and space played no role, so the world was of course different.
– But the agreement constitutes a strong legal framework, and that is of course what we are taking as our starting point, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
According to the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, the ministers at the meeting discussed how security in the Arctic and, in this context, in Greenland can be strengthened.
The discussion is, however, confidential, and therefore she will also not share details about what the EU is specifically prepared to do.
