COPENHAGEN (dpa-AFX) – Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen sees positive signals in the Greenland conflict with the USA. “The day ends better than it began,” the minister told Danish radio in an interview. “I’m taking two things with me from Davos: that Trump says he won’t attack Greenland (…) and that the tariff war is on standby. That’s positive.”
US President Donald Trump had previously reaffirmed his claims to Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, at the World Economic Forum in Davos. However, he will not use force during the takeover.
In the evening, Trump also announced that he would not impose his threatened punitive tariffs against Germany and other European countries on February 1st. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte there was a framework for a future agreement on Greenland and the Arctic. On this basis, he suspended the tariffs. Details were not known.
Trump’s annexation plans? “Wild fantasies”
The Danish foreign minister did not comment on Trump’s statements about such an agreement. He spoke briefly with Rutte. He reported a good meeting with Trump. Lars Løkke Rasmussen did not want to reveal any details. But the minister made it clear: “It will not happen that the USA owns Greenland.” He described Trump’s ambition in this regard as “wild fantasies.”
“It is crucial that we find a solution with respect for the integrity and sovereignty of the (Danish) Kingdom and the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination,” the minister said.
Danish Foreign Minister: Want to accommodate the USA
Denmark understands and shares US concerns regarding the security of the Arctic region. “We would very much like to talk to the Americans about this and would like to accommodate them in this regard,” said Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Denmark recently announced that it would increase its military presence in Greenland and is also pushing for a larger NATO presence in the region./wbj/DP/he