Denmark warns of ‘basic disagreement’ with US over Greenland

[ad_1] Daniel Bush Washington correspondent, on the White Home

Watch: "Elementary disagreement" with US over Greenland stays, says Danish overseas minister

Denmark's overseas minister has stated there's a "basic disagreement" with the US over Greenland after talks on the White Home.

Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated the assembly with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday had been "frank however constructive". However he added that US President Trump was insisting on "conquering" Greenland which was "completely unacceptable".

"We made it very, very clear that this isn't within the curiosity of [Denmark]," he stated.

Trump afterwards reiterated his curiosity in buying the resource-rich island, a place that has rattled allies throughout Europe and stoked tensions with Nato.

The hour-long assembly between the US, Denmark and Greenland didn't deliver a serious breakthrough, though all sides agreed to set-up a high-level working group to debate the way forward for the autonomous Danish territory.

Rasmussen stated there have been "pink traces" the US couldn't cross, and the working group would meet within the coming weeks in an effort to discover a compromise. He added that Denmark and Greenland have been open to the opportunity of the US opening extra army bases on the island.

"It is productive to begin discussions at a excessive degree," he stated.

Rasmussen additionally stated there was an "factor of fact" in Trump's view that safety needs to be bolstered to counter Russian and Chinese language pursuits within the Arctic. However he stated the president's feedback in regards to the presence of Russian and Chinese language warships round Greenland have been "not true".

Watch: What message do Greenlanders wish to ship to Trump?

Regardless of being a sparsely populated territory, Greenland's location between North America and the Arctic makes it nicely positioned for early warning techniques within the occasion of missile assaults and for monitoring vessels within the area.

Trump has repeatedly stated buying it's vital to US nationwide safety.

The US already has greater than 100 army personnel completely stationed at its Pituffik base in Greenland's north-western tip, a facility that has been operated by the US since World Battle Two.

Below current agreements with Denmark, the US has the facility to deliver as many troops because it desires to Greenland.

After the talks on Wednesday, Minister of Overseas Affairs of Greenland Vivian Motzfeldt stated the territory was open to better co-operation with the US but additionally opposed a takeover.

"We've proven the place our limits are," Motzfeldt stated.

Vance and Rubio didn't instantly remark after the assembly. Trump, in the meantime, advised reporters within the Oval Workplace: "We want Greenland for nationwide safety."

"The issue is there's not a factor that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China desires to occupy Greenland, however there's every part we are able to do," he stated, including that he doesn't imagine the US can depend on Denmark to defend the island.

The talks got here as allies in Europe moved shortly to point out assist for Greenland.

Sweden on Wednesday pledged to ship armed forces to the territory at Denmark's request. France's overseas minister stated the nation deliberate to open a consulate on the island subsequent month.

Germany stated in a press release offered to the BBC that it might ship a "reconnaissance staff" to Greenland to "discover the final situations for attainable army contributions to assist Denmark in making certain safety within the area".

Denmark stated its army enlargement in Greenland will happen "in shut co-operation with allies".

"Geopolitical tensions have unfold to the arctic," it stated in a press release.

The White Home talks have been simply the newest spherical of diplomatic discussions over Trump's rising curiosity within the territory.

It's unclear whether or not the president is contemplating utilizing army drive to grab the island, and he as soon as once more declined to rule it out when requested on Wednesday.

Different choices reportedly into account embrace buying the territory - although neither Danes nor Greenlanders have stated it's on the market.

Since taking workplace, Vance has criticised Denmark's stewardship of Greenland. The vp visited quickly after taking workplace.

Trump has argued management of the territory is important for his deliberate missile defence system, Golden Dome.

"It's critical for the Golden Dome that we're constructing," Trump stated in a social media submit early on Wednesday. "NATO needs to be main the best way for us to get it."

Public opinion polls recommend a majority of Greenland residents oppose coming underneath US management.

Most People oppose US management of Greenland as nicely. A Reuters/Ipsos ballot launched Wednesday indicated that simply 17% of People assist the US seizing Greenland, in comparison with 47 p.c who stated they opposed Trump's push to accumulate the island.

The newest talks on Greenland comply with US army operations in Venezuela and in opposition to ISIS targets in Syria. Trump has additionally threatened to take army motion to cease Iran's crackdown on a rising protest motion engulfing the nation.