People protest under the slogan “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders” in front of the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark (Picture credit: AP)
Denmark has said Washington’s ambition to take control of Greenland remains unchanged, even as European Nato countries began deploying military personnel to the strategic Arctic island, a move that has drawn a sharp warning from Russia.The developments came a day after a high-level meeting in Washington between US, Danish and Greenlandic officials failed to resolve what Copenhagen described as a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory that US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Washington needs to seize for security reasons.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday that a “working group” would be set up to discuss improving Arctic security. However, she stressed that this did not alter the core dispute. “The American ambition to take over Greenland remains intact,” Frederiksen said, calling the situation “a serious matter” and adding that Denmark would continue efforts to prevent such a scenario from becoming reality, according to news agency AFP.Her comments came as France, Germany, Sweden and Norway announced the deployment of military personnel to Greenland’s capital Nuuk as part of a reconnaissance mission. Greenland’s deputy prime minister Mute Egede said Nato soldiers would be more present on the island in the coming days, with increased military flights and ships, adding that the forces would be “training”, reported AFP.Germany’s defence ministry said the mission aims to explore options for ensuring security in the Arctic in light of “Russian and Chinese threats”. French President Emmanuel Macron said the first French military personnel were already on their way.Russia reacted strongly, with its embassy in Belgium saying the growing Nato presence in Greenland was “of serious concern” and accusing the alliance of building up forces under a “false pretext” of threats from Moscow and Beijing.Trump has argued that if the US does not take Greenland, “China or Russia will”, remarks that have fuelled tensions within Nato and anxiety among Greenland’s residents, some of whom fear being caught at the centre of a major geopolitical struggle.