Denmark, US to hold first high-level meeting since Trump inauguration
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Denmark has shifted its stance on Trump's demands from asking its allies to ignore the US President to competing with the US rhetoric.
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The U.S. and Danish flags fly at the Novozymes new enzyme plant under construction near Blair, Neb, on November 17, 2011. (AP)
Denmark and the United States are set to hold their first high-level officials meeting since Trump's inauguration as tensions continue to rise over the US President's desire to annex Greenland, which is under Denmark's authority.
Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of this Thursday's NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, two officials briefed on the preparation told the Financial Times on Tuesday.
The potential meeting, which officials cautioned might still be canceled given the strained Denmark-US relations, coincides with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's Greenland visit shortly after US Vice President JD Vance's own trip to the Arctic territory.
During Vice President Vance's Friday visit, Trump reiterated his push for US control of Greenland, calling the mineral-rich territory vital for global security while claiming Denmark lacks the capability to counter growing Russian and Chinese presence in the region.
Danish, Greenlandic officials push back
Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, has become a focal point in US-Denmark tensions as Trump pushes to annex the strategically important and resource-rich island, citing national security concerns.
“We do not appreciate the tone in which it is being delivered. This is not how you speak to your close allies,” Rasmussen said in a video statement, responding to Vance’s criticism that Denmark has “underinvested” in Greenland’s security.
Greenland, home to 57,000 people—mostly Inuit—has been seeking greater autonomy from Denmark. However, while all Greenlandic political parties support eventual independence, none favor becoming part of the United States.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland’s newly appointed prime minister, accused the US of disrespecting Greenlandic sovereignty.
"President Trump says that the United States is getting Greenland. Let me be clear: The United States won't get that. We do not belong to anyone else. We determine our own future," Nielsen wrote on social media, calling on Greenlanders not to be afraid of Trump's rhetoric and treating it with calm and dignity.
