Top Greenland official's brutal move to stop Trump's aggressive purchase plans
On a day when the mercury hit 98 degrees in Washington, there was talk of polar bears and arctic cooperation inside the Danish embassy – with a top official from Greenland insisting the territory is not for sale.
Western politicians mostly had their eyes on missiles exploding in Tehran and Tel Aviv Monday. But it was also just after Greenland's National Day, and the Danish government took the occasion to organize a demonstration of a softer kind of power.
The unmistakable message: Greenland isn't something that can be snatched away through dealmaking or force, and people who live there have something to say about their fate.
The embassy put on a display of Greenlandic food and musical performances reflecting the 'cultural richness of Kalaallit Nunaat' – the way indigenous Inuit people refer to Greenland (rough translation: 'land of the people.')
Kim Kielsen, the head of the Greenlandic parliament, flew to DC for the event, addressing notables who gathered at the embassy. Wearing a blue hoodie, he spoke of the local culture, of indigenous shamans who rely on polar bears and walruses – and of the importance of sovereignty.
'Let me repeat: Greenland is not for sale, but we are open for business,' the former policeman – also a hunter and professional fisherman – told a crowd of more than 100 who sweated through the event.
Later, Kielsen flipped through images some of his hunting kills on his cell phone, even retrieving a photo of himself singlehandedly carrying three reindeers he had shot.
The unspoken backdrop for Monday's celebration was President Donald Trump's chilling statement that 'we need Greenland for national security and international security' and 'will go as far as we have to' to get it. Not much has come of his proclamations to date, and Trump toned down talk of another territorial ambition – his desire to make Canada the 51st state – on his trip to Alberta last week.
For members of the diplomatic class who have been poring over Trump's missives about what the US needs from Greenland, Kielsen spoke of lesser known historical traditions, like fashioning a drum from the intestine of a Polar Bear.
'The shamans are not only alone, they are helped by other elements, like animals, like polar bears and walruses,' he told a crowd of diplomats, government officials, and members of the media.
The event also hosted the new representative of Greenland to Washington Jacob Isbosethsen. It came after many of Grenland's 56,000 inhabitants celebrated the longest day of the year with parties and an annual seal hunting competition.
Denmark has answered the pressure by boosting its military presence on Greenland and voting to allow US military bases on Danish soil.
At the embassy, a midcentury modern building near former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton's Washington home, there were video demonstrations of just some of what Greenland has to offer – with images of fish filets being packed for distribution. Unmentioned were Greenland's rare earth minerals, which Trump has called essential for the US to be able to extract.
A band of Greenlandic women from an orphanage in Uummannaq sang songs in their native tongue, joined by a man on electric base and a Danish woman who was teaching them.
'It's a big honor,' musician Karina Moeller told the Daily Mail. 'There's a big movement right now of decolonization. They're very angry at Denmark. But music is a way to expressing your own culture rather than yelling at other people,' she said.
'Greenland has transitioned from being a colony, to home rule, to self rule,' said Denmark's Ambassador to the U.S. Jesper Møller Sørensen. 'And I will submit I am confident that the Kingdom of Denmark will continue to evolve, just as it has in the past,' he said.
'It is a very warm day, there is no doubt about it,' noted Jacob Isbosethsen, saying the heat stacks up to his post in Beijing. His predecessor, Ambassador Kenneth Hoegh, now chairs senior Arctic officials on the Arctic Council with Denmark chairing the group.
Even the embassy's executive Chef Lasse Fredrik Jensen testified to his 'love affair with Greenland.'
'Being in the kitchen all day, this is a cool breeze, so I'm going to take my time,' he quipped as he ran through a menu of delicacies featuring Greenlandic offerings.
He says he first got the Greenland bug when he was sent to a U.S. air base there. Now it has been rechristened Pituffik Space Base.
The chef prepared Greenlandic shrimp in his own take on a Maine-style lobster roll, Greenlandic cod salad, and shredded lamb with Arctic thyme.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
28 minutes ago
- The Independent
The Latest: NATO leaders agree on spending hike, vow to defend each other
NATO leaders agreed on Wednesday on a massive hike in defense spending to 5% of GDP after pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, and expressed their 'ironclad commitment' to come to each other's aid if attacked. Trump made overtures to Tehran after declaring an end to the '12-day war' Israel and the U.S. waged against Iran. Emil Bove, a former criminal defense attorney for President Trump, is under scrutiny over a whistleblower's claims that he suggested ignoring court orders during his time as a senior Justice Department official. He faces questions on Capitol Hill as he seeks to be confirmed as a federal appeals court judge. The new U.S. vaccine advisers, replacing the expert panel dismissed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will discuss COVID-19 shots in its first meeting. The Centers for Disease Control contradicts Kennedy's assertions that the vaccines aren't necessary, and the American Academy of Pediatrics says the government panel is no longer credible. Here is the latest: Pediatricians' group says Kennedy's vaccine panel no longer credible COVID-19 remains a public health threat, resulting in 32,000 to 51,000 U.S. deaths and more than 250,000 hospitalizations since last fall, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It says most at risk for hospitalization are seniors and children under 2 — especially infants under 6 months who could have some protection if their mom got vaccinated during pregnancy. The first meeting of Kennedy's new vaccine advisory panel opened Wednesday as the American Academy of Pediatrics announced that it will continue publishing its own vaccine schedule for children but now will do so independently of the ACIP, calling it 'no longer a credible process.' Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisory panel meets for first time Shortly before the meeting, a Virginia-based obstetrician and gynecologist stepped down from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, bringing the panel's number to just seven. The Trump administration said Dr. Michael Ross withdrew during a customary review of members' financial holdings. First on the two-day agenda is an awkward scenario: Kennedy already announced COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women, and his new advisers aren't scheduled to vote on whether they agree. Yet government scientists prepared meeting materials calling vaccination 'the best protection' during pregnancy — and said most children hospitalized for COVID-19 over the past year were unvaccinated. ▶ Read more about the vaccine advisors' meeting CDC nominee likely to face sharp questions about vaccine policy at Senate hearing Trump's second pick to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is in front of a Senate health committee Wednesday and expected to face sharp questions about vaccine review, scientific independence and more. Susan Monarez, 50, is the first nominee for the CDC director's job to require Senate confirmation after a 2023 law. She is the former director of a federal biomedical research agency and a respected scientist. If confirmed, she would be the first nonphysician to lead the agency in decades. Monarez was named acting director in January and then nominee in March after Trump abruptly withdrew his first choice, David Weldon. Since then, Monarez has largely stayed silent as the $9.2 billion agency tasked with protecting the nation's health underwent staff cuts, program overhauls and abrupt changes in vaccine policy mandated by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. White House adviser criticizes how Congressional Budget Office analysis is being used The Council of Economic Advisers chair Stephen Miran told reporters Wednesday that the White House analysis greatly differs from Congressional Budget Office estimates due to factors that the CBO does not consider in its analysis of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including: 1. a boost in tariff revenues 2. Trump administration plans to cut regulations 3. overall 'energy abundance' 4. and estimated reduced interest payments on the national debt. 'The problem is not that the CBO is doing everything wrong,' Miran said. 'The problem is that people are using the CBO score for purposes its not intended for.' White House economists release much sunnier estimate of Trump tax bill A new White House Council of Economic Advisers analysis of the Senate Finance Committee draft of Trump's tax cuts package estimates $2.1 to $2.3 trillion in deficit reduction over ten years, based in part on higher tariffs revenue, and an economic boom that would increase the gross domestic product to 4.9% over four years. The analysis is markedly different from the Congressional Budget Office's dynamic analysis of the House-passed measure, which estimates that it would increase deficits by up to $2.8 trillion over the next decade and leave the lowest income Americans facing the biggest hit from the bill. The CEA didn't provide an income distribution analysis. Trump judicial nominee says he never advocated for defying court orders Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official, denied the account of a whistleblower as he was questioned by lawmakers weighing his nomination to become a federal appeals court judge. The whistleblower, a fired Justice Department lawyer, alleged in a complaint made by public Tuesday that Bove suggested during a meeting about Trump's deportation efforts that the government might have to consider ignoring court orders. Bove told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has 'never advised a Department of Justice attorney to defy a court order.' 'I don't think there's any validity this to the suggestion that that whistleblower complaint filed yesterday calls into question my qualifications to serve as a circuit judge,' Bove said. ▶ Read more about Bove's confirmation hearing Bondi defends DOJ official amid whistleblower claims The attorney general was asked during a congressional budget hearing Wednesday about a whistleblower's claims that Trump judicial nominee and Justice Department official Emil Bove suggested ignoring court orders to carry out deportations. Bondi said she found the timing 'suspect,' a day before Bove's confirmation hearing Wednesday to become a federal appeals court judge. Bondi noted that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said the claims by the Justice Department lawyer — who was fired after acknowledging to a judge that Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported by mistake — are false. 'I stand by Emil Bove and I stand by Todd Blanche every day and I always will,' Bondi said. Trump says he's negotiating with Finland to buy a used icebreaker 'You're very good at icebreakers,' Trump told a reporter from Finland. The ships can help bolster U.S. defenses in the Arctic. Trump said he's gone to Finnish President Alexander Stubb seeking to buy a 'fairly used icebreaker, ' and offered 'about one third of what he asked for.' 'But we're negotiating,' Trump said. 'We need icebreakers in the U.S. And, if we can get some inexpensively, I'd like to do that.' He said Finland is the 'king of icebreakers' and suggested the U.S. might be willing to buy as many as 15 of them, including the used icebreaker that Trump said might be immediately available. 'We're trying to make a good deal,' Trump said. Trump press conference wraps with a question: Does he consider NATO members his children? Trump's press conference has wrapped with a question about a comment by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who suggested on Wednesday that Trump was 'Daddy' to the alliance. Asked if he considers NATO allies his children, Trump chuckled but didn't offer a direct answer. 'No, he likes me. I think he likes me,' Trump said of Rutte. The president heaped praise during his press conference on most NATO members for agreeing to increase their defense spending. Trump shows unusual warmth toward a journalist The reporter who asked about the Patriot missile systems said her husband was a Ukrainian soldier. Trump, who laid into the U.S. media throughout his news conference, gave her praise. 'That's a very good question,' Trump said. 'And I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it's very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband.' Trump doesn't rule out sending Ukraine more Patriot missile systems During the press conference, Trump had an exchange with a Ukrainian reporter, leaving open the possibility of sending Kyiv more US-made Patriot air defense missile systems. 'We're going to see if we can make some available. Yeah, they're very hard to get. We need them too. We're supplying them to Israel, and, they're very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.' The U.S. has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defense systems to Ukraine, but many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems — particularly countries in eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. The U.S. also is wary of giving too many away, since they are used all over the world to protect U.S. forces and allies. The systems cost approximately $4 million per missile, and the launchers cost about $10 million each, analysts say. Trump says he has candidates in mind to replace Fed Chair if necessary Trump, departing from the NATO focus of his post-summit news conference, says he has candidates in mind to replace the U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, though he offered his usual insults against Jerome Powell rather than providing more details. The president has spent months pressuring the Fed chair to lower U.S. interest rates. He said Wednesday that Powell is 'an average mentally person' and has 'low IQ for what he does.' 'I think he's a very stupid person, actually,' Trump said. Hegseth lashes out at press Trump briefly ceded the stage to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a question about the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran. 'There's a reason the president calls out the fake news for what it is,' Hegseth said, accusing media outlets of using a leaked intelligence assessment to politically damage Trump. 'They want to spin it to try to make him look bad,' Hegseth said. Trump said he'll make Spain pay higher tariffs because it won't go along with NATO spending increase Trump said he doesn't know what 'the problem' with Spain, calling the country's position unfair to other members of the NATO alliance. 'They want a little bit of a free ride, but they'll have to pay it back to us on trade,' he said, making up for it through higher tariffs. But Spain belongs to the European Union, the world's largest trading bloc, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of all 27 member countries. They are not meant to negotiate trade deals individually. Asked about that, Trump said, 'I'm going to negotiate directly with Spain. I'm going to do it myself.' Most NATO member countries agreed Wednesday to increase defense spending to 5% of their GDP. Spain claimed an exception and said it would increase spending to 2%. Spain's Prime Minister calls his country's defense spending 'sufficient and realistic' after NATO summit Pedro Sánchez said Spain will meet the capability targets NATO members agreed upon at Wednesday's summit, and continue being a key part of Europe's security apparatus at its southern border as well as the eastern flank with Russia. And Sanchez called his country's plan to spend 2% of gross domestic product on defense 'sufficient and realistic.' Two days before the summit, Sánchez announced that Spain had secured an opt-out from the 5% of GDP spending target that NATO allies agreed to at The Hague. The move threatened the unity of the military alliance as leaders prepared to meet with Trump, who has pushed Europe to spend more on its defense and rebuked Spain for its low spending. 'In today's summit, NATO wins and Spain wins something very important for our society, which is security and the welfare state,' Sánchez said. Trump says Vladimir Putin wants to settle war in Ukraine 'He'd like to get out of this thing. It's a mess for him,' Trump said of the Russian president. 'He called the other day, and he said, 'Can I help you with Iran?' I said 'no, you can help me with Russia.'' Trump is heaping praise on NATO, saying most of its leaders 'love' the US The president said he came to the NATO summit as a political chore, but is leaving convinced that the assembled leaders love the alliance, their own countries and, mostly importantly, the United States. 'I came here because it was something I was supposed to be doing. But I left here a little bit different,' Trump said. He called NATO leaders a 'nice group of people' and said 'almost every one of them said 'thank God for the United States.'' Trump praised most member countries for agreeing to increase defense spending, adding: 'They need the United States and without the United States it's not going to be the same.' Trump defends allowing Iran to sell oil to China amid pause in fighting with Israel Trump characterized the gesture as an indication that the U.S. might be willing to let bygone be bygones with Iran. Asked if doing so could reduce economic pressure on Iran at a delicate time, Trump responded: 'They're going to need money to put that country back into shape. We want to see that happen.' He harkened back to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, before the start of his political career, and said, 'I used to say with Iraq, 'Keep the oil.' I could say it here too.'' The statement was surprising given Trump's harsh rhetoric against Iran recently, including his insistence that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. Trump says US will talk with Iran next week 'I'll tell you what, we're going to talk with them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don't know,' Trump said. It was a surprise disclosure about the possibility of restarting dialogue between Tehran and Washington. Trump says 'I'm not' interested in restarting talks with Iran 'The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done,' he said. 'I don't care if I have an agreement or not' because 'we destroyed the nuclear,' deflating Iran's atomic ambitions. 'They're not going to be doing it anyway,' Trump said. 'They've had it.' Trump suggests he may support renaming the Secretary of Defense back to the Secretary of War In comments at the press conference, Trump said he, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top U.S. officials felt like their work during the conflict in Iran made them warriors. Referring to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Trump said, 'Should we say secretary of war?' The president noted that the Cabinet position was originally known as the Secretary of War. 'Maybe, for a few weeks, we'll call it that because we feel like warriors,' he said, while acknowledging that the original name might not be politically correct. Trump says he's confident Israel-Iran war is over Trump said the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities brought the conflict to a close. He's been calling it the '12 day war,' suggesting a definitive end to the conflict. 'I think they're very much finished,' he said of Israel and Iran. 'They're both tired, exhausted.' Trump says US base in Qatar targeted by Iran had been nearly totally emptied out before that attack began Trump says nearly all military personnel was moved off a U.S. military base before Iran targeted it with multiple missile strikes earlier this week. No casualties had previously been reported during Iran's Monday attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Trump said Wednesday during his post-NATO summit press conference that 'everyone was emptied off the base' except 'the gunners.' Iran targeted the Al Udeid base in retaliation for the U.S. bombing three of its nuclear facilities last weekend. Trump continues to defend impact of U.S. strikes on Iran The president used his NATO press conference to press his claims that he had delivered a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear program. It was a lengthy digression from the summit's focus on European security. 'The site has been demolished,' he said. 'We had these brave patriots, these incredible fliers,' Trump said about U.S. pilots who led the attack with U.S. stealth bombers. 'The shots were hit perfectly.' Trump hails NATO agreement to increase defense spending as 'big win' for Western civilization Getting most NATO members to agree to increase their defense spending relative to GDP is something Trump has sought since 2017, feeling that the U.S. was shouldering too much of the burden. Trump hailed the alliance's vote on Wednesday to have most members boost that spending to 5%, with the key exception of Spain. He said the increase will add more than $1 trillion per year to 'our common defense.' The U.S. president said the vote will be known as 'the Hague defense commitment' and as a 'monument really to victory.' 'This is a big win for Europe and, actually, for Western civilization,' Trump said. Trump says increased NATO spending will help prevent future conflicts like Ukraine 'Europe stepping up to take more responsibility for security will help prevent future disasters like the horrible situation with Russia and Ukraine,' Trump told reporters at his summit-ending news conference. 'And hopefully we're going to get that solved.' Trump's post-NATO summit press conference is underway Trump's press conference after the NATO summit has begun. The president used his opening remarks to praise the 'massive precision strike on Iran' that he ordered, and again declared that Iran's nuclear program had been 'obliterated' despite early U.S. intelligence assessments questioning that. 'We call it the 12-day war' Trump said of the conflict between Iran and Israel, and he said the U.S. considers the hostilities concluded. Trump and Zelenskyy huddled for about 50 minutes 'We covered all the truly important issues,' Zelenskyy posted on social media following the leaders' talks. 'I thank Mr. President, I thank the United States. We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace. We spoke about how to protect our people. We appreciate the attention and the readiness to help bring peace closer.' It was the first face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Ukrainian leaders since April, when they huddled at St. Peter's Basilica during Pope Francis' funeral. Macron abruptly declines to comment on Trump's views: 'Ask him the question!' The French President appeared annoyed at repeated questions about Trump's views at the NATO summit. 'I'm not the President of the United States of America,' Macron told reporters. 'Ask him the question.' Macron's unusual irritation notably comes after Trump said whether he'll commit to NATO mutual defense guarantee 'depends on your definition.' 'It's very simple, my job is not to interpret his comments,' Macron said. 'What I'm saying is that this solidarity (between allies) does exist, it's in our texts.' Also asked whether he's worried that Europe's security relies on decisions from the U.S. president, Macron said: 'That's not the case. I'm telling it to you, for France, which has a full, well-equipped army with the (nuclear) dissuasion, that's not the case. We don't rely on others.' Germany's leader renews appeal to Trump to tighten sanctions against Russia Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Wednesday that while meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit he 'encouraged' the U.S. president to get behind a sanctions bill in the U.S. Senate, and that it seems that Trump 'is considering intensively what he can do.' Merz noted that European Union leaders plan to agree on more sanctions of their own at a summit Thursday. But he said that 'this alone will not be enough; we also need stronger participation by the United States of America in such sanctions.' NATO summit brings together 'Dutch Donald Trump' and real Donald Trump The Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders chatted with the U.S. president on the sidelines of the NATO summit, where world leaders had just agreed on a massive hike in defense spending after pressure from Trump. Like Trump, Wilders has similar anti-immigration, pro-Israel policies and a love for fiery rhetoric and frequent social media use. In a post on X, Wilders thanked Trump for the 'excellent meeting.' Wilders says the two talked about the need for tougher immigration rules. Wilders took home a big win in the last Dutch election. But he pulled the plug last month on the four-party coalition formed in the wake of the 2023 vote following a dispute over migration after governing for just 11 months. Despite his anti-Islam Party for Freedom taking the largest share of seats in parliament, Wilders was too unpalatable even for his coalition partners to helm the government. The top job went to civil servant Dick Schoof instead. JD Vance flips his middle finger, Trump drops an f-bomb During a Republican fundraiser in Lima, Ohio, on Tuesday night, the vice president flipped his middle finger toward the crowd as he jokingly commiserated about the difficulties of being a modern political candidate. He said making the vulgar gesture is common in the nation's capital. 'All the pink-haired people throw up this sign,' he said, to laughter. 'And I think that means 'We're Number One,' right? I choose to take that as that symbol in Washington.' Vance said he was kidding, but the joke happened to come on the same day that Trump used the f-word for real. Trump was describing his frustration with both Israel and Iran appearing to have broken the terms of a ceasefire. Starmer says NATO support for Ukraine stands strong British Prime Minister Keir Starmer say NATO's support for Ukraine is undimmed, despite there being only a brief mention of its war with Russia in the alliance's brief summit communique. 'On the question of Ukraine, the position of NATO has not changed,' Starmer told reporters. 'While we work to lower the temperature in the Middle East, we will not for a moment lose focus on Ukraine.' He denied Ukraine had been sidelined. 'In my discussions with leaders there's been a real resolve that now is the time to push again to get Putin to the table for the unconditional ceasefire.' Supporting NATO's call for members to spend 5% of national income on defense and security, he said: 'This is the moment to unite, for Europe to make fundamental shift in its posture and for NATO to meet this challenge head on.' Emmanuel Macron calls threat of heavy US tariffs on European goods an 'aberration' The French president confirmed he mentioned the issue while in the Netherlands to leaders including Trump. Speaking to reporters after the NATO summit, Macron said the decision from European Allies to substantially increase their defense spendings should 'obviously lead to trade peace.' 'We can't as Allies say 'we need to spend more, we're going to spend more,' and within NATO, fighting a trade war. That's an aberration,' Macron said. Asked whether Trump appeared to hear the message, 'ask him the question,' Macron answered. Trump says he supports NATO mutual defense guarantees Trump was less than declarative on on his way to the summit when he was asked about his support for Article 5 of the NATO treaty. Asked Wednesday to clarify, Trump said he supports the essential NATO pledge, that an attack on one member is an attack on all. 'I stand with it, that's why I'm here,' Trump said as he met with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof. 'If I didn't stand with it I wouldn't be here.' Trump had told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday that whether he is committed to Article 5 'depends on your definition.' The comment rattled NATO members. 'There's numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right?' Trump said on the plane. 'But I'm committed to being their friends.' He also signaled that he would give a more precise definition of what Article 5 means to him once he was at the summit. Trump keeps lashing out at media over intel assessment The White House, looking to support Trump's contention that Iran's nuclear program was devastated by U.S. airstrikes, distributed a statement from the Israel Atomic Energy Commission. 'We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear program, has set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,' the statement said. A U.S. intelligence assessment, which leaked on Tuesday, said there was a delay of only a few months. Trump said media outlets were 'disgusting' for reporting on the assessment, describing them as 'very unfair to the pilots, who risked their lives for our country.' NATO leaders agree to hike spending and 'ironclad' vow to defend each other if attacked NATO leaders agreed on Wednesday on a massive hike in defense spending after pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, and expressed their 'ironclad commitment' to come to each other's aid if attacked. The 32 leaders endorsed a final summit statement saying: 'Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.' Spain had already officially announced that it cannot meet the target, and others have voiced reservations, but the investment pledge includes a review of spending in 2029 to monitor progress and reassess the security threat posed by Russia. The leaders also underlined their 'ironclad commitment' to NATO's collective security guarantee — 'that an attack on one is an attack on all.' Ahead of the summit, Trump had again raised doubts over whether the United States would defend its allies. Disruption in cellphone networks across the Netherlands Mobile networks are down across the Netherlands as the country hosts the summit of NATO leaders. The problem lies with a system of provider Odido, as well as several of its subsidiaries. The company says that its customers are experiencing widespread outages. Job Holzhauer, a spokesman for the Dutch National Cybersecurity Center, said the agency wasn't involved and that the primary responsibility for investigating the outage lies with the provider. He said the cybersecurity center would only get involved if the provider's investigation confirms a cyberattack. NATO chief opens summit in his hometown NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has opened the annual summit of the alliance's leaders in his hometown of The Hague. Rutte, a former longtime Dutch prime minister, opened the meeting of 32 allies at a conference center that has been enveloped in the biggest security operation ever mounted in the Netherlands. Rutte said the meeting's central aim is for leaders to endorse a plan to boost military spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035 and more fairly spread the cost of collective defense. 'For too long, one ally, the United States, carried too much of the burden of that commitment and that changes today,' Rutte said. Leaders who flew in from around Europe and North America are scheduled to talk behind closed doors for about two and a half hours before issuing a brief written statement. The significant spending boost from the current target of 2% of GDP has been pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who sat next to Rutte at the circular meeting table. But it has faced pushback from Spain, which says it can't afford the new target. NATO's Article 5 security guarantee On the eve of the NATO summit, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that his commitment to Article 5 'depends on your definition.' The comment raised questions about Washington's commitment to defend its allies should they come under attack from outside. Article 5 is the foundation stone on which the 32-member NATO alliance is built. It states that an armed attack against one or more of the members shall be considered an attack against all members. It also states that if such an armed attack occurs, each member would take, individually and in concert with others, 'such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force, to restore and maintain the security of the North Atlantic area.'' Trump says he'll meet with Zelenskyy U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit. 'We'll discuss the obvious,' Trump said. 'We'll discuss his difficulties.' Trump added of Zelenskyy: 'Nice guy.' The two leaders were supposed to meet at the Group of Seven summit in Canada earlier this month, but Trump departed for Washington early to deal with the Middle East conflict. Hungary's leader says Russia not 'a real threat' Prime Minister Viktor Orbán doesn't believe, as other European countries do, that Russia could carry out an attack on NATO territory by the end of the decade. 'I think Russia is not strong enough to represent a real threat to us. We are far stronger,' said Orbán, fielding questions from reporters, leaning back with his hands thrust into his pockets. Orbán is considered Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally in Europe. German leader confident about spending boost German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he's confident NATO members will decide on a drastic increase in defense spending 'not to do anyone a favor,' but because they are convinced that the threat level has changed. Merz said as he arrived at the NATO summit that he believes the decision to raise the alliance's spending target to a cumulative 5% of gross domestic product will be made 'in great harmony.' He said that allies agree that 'the threat situation has changed, and the threat is Russia in particular.' Merz added: 'I want to say expressly that we are making the decisions we are making not to do anyone a favor, but we are making these decisions out of … our own conviction that NATO as a whole, and this regards the European part of NATO above all, must do more in the coming years to secure its own defense capability.' Trump has breakfast with the king and queen President Donald Trump began his first — and only — full day at the NATO summit with a breakfast courtesy of the Dutch king and queen. Trump had stayed overnight at the Huis Ten Bosch palace at the invitation of Dutch King Willem-Alexander. Only a still photographer was allowed to witness the meal on behalf of the White House press corps. 'The day begins in the beautiful Netherlands,' Trump posted on his social media account later Wednesday morning. 'The King and Queen are beautiful and spectacular people. Our breakfast meeting was great! Now it's off to the very important NATO Meetings. The USA will be very well represented!' 'Birth of a new NATO' Those are the words of Finland's president about the 5% spending goal. While Spain says it can't commit to that increase, other countries closer to the borders of Russia and Ukraine say they can. 'This is a big win, I think, for both President Trump and I think it's also a big win for Europe,' Finnish President Alexander Stubb told reporters. 'We're witnessing the birth of a new NATO, which means a more balanced NATO.' More missiles for Ukraine Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the U.K. will provide 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine, funded by 70 million pounds ($95 million) raised from the interest on seized Russian assets. The announcement came as the U.K., along with other NATO members, pledges to increase spending on security to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035. The total includes 3.5% on defense and another 1.5% on broader security and resilience. UK boosting its nuclear arsenal Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the U.K. will buy 12 U.S.-made F35 fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons and join NATO's shared airborne nuclear mission. The government says it is 'the biggest strengthening of the U.K.'s nuclear posture in a generation.' The U.K. phased out air-dropped atomic weapons after the end of the Cold War, so all of its atomic weapons are submarine-based missiles. The use of nuclear weapons by the U.K. as part of the mission would require the authorization of the alliance's nuclear planning group as well as the U.S. president and British prime minister. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed the announcement, saying it was 'yet another robust British contribution to NATO.' NATO chief upbeat before summit NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says he's looking forward to what he describes as a 'transformational' summit of NATO leaders as they seek to agree on a huge hike in defense spending. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving at the summit later Wednesday after raising questions a day earlier about his commitment to NATO's cornerstone mutual defense guarantee. Trump spent the night at a royal palace in The Hague as a guest of Dutch King Willem-Alexander. Spurred by Trump's demands that NATO allies share the burden of defense spending more fairly, leaders are set to pledge to spend 5% of their economic output on defense by 2035, although Spain has said it will not meet that target. Trump insisted Tuesday that 'there's a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Republicans dangle reprieve from tax retaliation as Trump bill heads toward votes
WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) - A tax proposal that would enable U.S. President Donald Trump to retaliate against countries that impose taxes that he considers unfair could be removed from a sweeping budget bill, if an international deal can be struck before it passes, top White House and congressional Republicans said on Wednesday. The proposal, known as Section 899, opens new tab, is currently part of Trump's tax-cut and spending bill, which Republicans hope to enact as early as Saturday so that the president can sign it into law before the July 4 U.S. Independence Day holiday. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith told Reuters that the provision could be removed from the legislation if other countries and the European Union agree to suspend taxes such as the "Pillar Two" global minimum corporate tax. "If there's an agreement before the bill's passed, I'd see it to come out. But until the European Union treats U.S. businesses fairly, it will be in the bill," Smith said in an interview. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett made similar remarks about Section 899, saying: "Maybe it doesn't have to be in the bill if they pull those things back ahead of the vote." Hassett specifically cited Pillar Two and digital service taxes, which impact large U.S. technology companies like Amazon and Alphabet. "We don't like those things, and we've got a tax response, a tax retaliation, a reciprocal retaliation in the bill," he said in an interview with the Fox Business Channel. "And so, we're in negotiations over tax issues," Hassett added. The provision in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a progressive tax burden of up to 20% on foreign investors' U.S. income, raising concerns on Wall Street about the attractiveness of U.S. investments. Lawmakers have done little to address concerns on Wall Street, despite calls for clarifying language and leeway for the Treasury to exempt countries in negotiations with the Trump administration. The Senate version of the provision would take effect in 2027, one year later than an earlier House version. Senate Republican leaders are aiming to pass the Trump bill as soon as Saturday, and Hassett said the White House would expect the House to vote on full passage later in the day.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Trump US CDC nominee says she has not seen link between vaccines and autism
WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's nominee for Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Susan Monarez told a U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday that she has not seen evidence linking vaccines and autism. If confirmed, Monarez will report to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long questioned the safety of vaccines contrary to scientific evidence, including suggesting a link between them and autism. "I have not seen a causal link between vaccines and autism," Monarez told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions during her confirmation hearing in response to a question from Senator Bernie Sanders. The hearing is taking place at the same time as a crucial meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that reviews data for the agency and recommends who should get them. Kennedy fired the entire 17-member panel of outside vaccine experts, saying they had conflicts of interest without providing evidence of any such conflicts, and replaced them with eight of his own selections - about half of whom have advocated against some vaccines. One of the eight appointees left the committee hours before the meeting.
