Danish Prime Minister seeks Europe's help to protect Greenland from Trump - Bloomberg
Photo: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Getty Images)
The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, is appealing to her European allies for help in dealing with US President Donald Trump's demands to appropriate Greenland, Bloomberg reports.
Frederiksen is touring major capitals after a $2 billion investment in the defense of the Arctic island, which Trump has set his eyes on. This is part of a broader plan to strengthen patrols in the North Atlantic waters.
According to informed sources, Denmark, which faces almost daily attacks from the new White House, has decided not to actively support Trump’s rhetoric in public and has asked European allies to do the same.
The idea, according to the sources, is to downplay the threats and not escalate the situation.
Trump has made it clear that his plans regarding Greenland, which dates back to his first term, are not going away. He insists he wants to take control of the world’s largest island for security reasons and has refused to rule out the use of force.
European tour
Frederiksen visited Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin, then met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on January 28.
As per Denmark's strategy, Frederiksen and Scholz avoided directly mentioning the Greenland crisis in their statements to journalists before the talks.
However, in a thinly veiled reference to the territorial demands made by the US President, Scholz stated that the inviolability of borders is a fundamental principle of international law that every country must adhere to.
“The principle must apply - to everyone,” Scholz said, adding: “I also made this clear here a few days ago: Borders must not be moved by force, to whom it may concern.”
For her part, Frederiksen said in Berlin: “We are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation. Europe, our continent, is based on the idea that cooperation rather than confrontation will lead to peace, to progress, to prosperity, and let us honor that idea.”
Military defense
US President Trump mocked Denmark's ability to defend the island, which has significant self-government but lacks its own armed forces and is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The US has an airbase in Greenland dating back to World War II and has the right to increase its military presence there, as long as it consults and informs both Denmark and Greenland.
Funds for new military ships will come from Denmark’s existing defense budget, which has been increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated last week that Denmark, one of NATO’s founding members, may need to spend over $70 billion on its military needs by 2033.
The ministry reported that the Danish government and most opposition parties have agreed to begin talks at the end of 2025 regarding a second package of military measures in the Arctic.
The Head of the EU Military Committee, Robert Brieger, stated that it would be wise to station not only US troops but also European forces in Greenland. According to Brieger, this would contribute to stability in the region.
