Danish Prime Minister: "We cannot negotiate on our sovereignty" regarding Greenland deal

 

Any talks with the USA? A day after he announced that he and NATO had agreed to a “framework” for a deal, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement that President Donald Trump cannot include a negotiation on the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland. We are able to negotiate on all political issues, including economics, investments, and security. But we can't talk about our sovereignty,” Frederiksen said in the morning of Thursday. Denmark, which is a member of both NATO and the European Union, has a semi-autonomous territory known as Greenland. Frederiksen claimed that she had spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte prior to and following his Wednesday meeting with Trump in Davos.

She stated that NATO was "fully aware" of Denmark's position and that she had received assurances from NATO that the sovereignty issue would not be discussed. "Only Denmark and Greenland themselves can make decisions on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland," Frederiksen claimed, was the statement she received. “Subject to this being done with respect for our territorial integrity,” the Danish prime minister stated, “is open to a dialogue on Arctic security with the United States,” including on Trump's “Golden Dome” missile defense plan.

The statement made by Frederiksen comes just a few hours before the European Union's top leadership is scheduled to meet in Brussels on Thursday. The heads of state and government of each of the 27 EU member states, in addition to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, make up the European Council, a decision-making body. When the leaders meet for what is being referred to as an "informal dinner" at 7 p.m. local time, or 1 p.m. eastern, the topic of Greenland, Denmark, and the future of the relationship between the United States and the European Union will be front and center.

In a statement, European Council President António Costa said, "We will discuss recent developments in transatlantic relations and their implications for the European Union, and coordinate on the way forward."

Europe must do more to protect the Arctic, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, "in the framework of NATO." Merz wrote on Twitter on Thursday, "Denmark and the people of Greenland can count on our solidarity." "Now what I’m asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection," Trump said in his speech on Wednesday. He went on to say, "It's a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades."