Munich, Germany. Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen held a constructive meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference about the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Meeting and follow-up talks
Frederiksen said on X that the meeting with Rubio was constructive and that work would continue in a high-level working group, as agreed. Nielsen said on Instagram that Greenland’s interests were again clearly highlighted and that the talks were emphasised as the right way forward.
Diplomatic tensions over US calls for control of Greenland
US President Donald Trump’s push for the United States to acquire Greenland has prompted severe tensions in recent months within the NATO alliance, of which Denmark and the United States are members. On January 28, the United States, Denmark and Greenland launched talks as the parties seek to resolve what was described as a diplomatic crisis.
Greenland’s position and US security arguments
Nielsen has previously said that if Greenlanders were forced to choose between the United States and Denmark, they would choose Denmark. Trump has cited national security concerns related to Russia and China in his repeated calls for US control over Greenland.
NATO Arctic mission and Trump’s comments
NATO announced this week the launch of a mission to strengthen its presence in the Arctic as part of efforts to defuse tensions. Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that he thought Greenland would want the United States and said negotiations were underway.
What do you think the ongoing talks could mean for Greenland’s future relationship with Denmark and the United States?