Latest news with #NUUK
Arab News
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Danish leader tells the US ‘you cannot annex another country' as she visits Greenland
NUUK, Greenland: Denmark's prime minister is wrapping up a three-day visit to Greenland on Friday after telling the US 'you cannot annex another country,' even with the argument that international security is at stake. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen traveled to the strategically critical Arctic island as US President Donald Trump seeks control of Greenland. He argues that Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, is critical to US security. A week ago, Vice President JD Vance visited a remote US military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory. Frederiksen pushed back against the US criticism as she spoke on Thursday alongside Greenland's incoming and outgoing leaders. She argued that Denmark, a NATO ally, has been a reliable friend. Speaking in English, she said that 'if we let ourselves be divided as allies, then we do our foes a favor. And I will do everything that I can to prevent that from happening.' 'When you ask our businesses to invest in the US, they do. When you ask us to spend more on our defense, we do; and when you ask of us to strengthen security in the Arctic, we are on the same page,' she said. 'But when you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark's territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in about the country that we have admired for so many years?' 'This is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations: you cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about international security,' Frederiksen said. The Danish leader said that, if the US wants to strengthen security in the Arctic, 'let us do so together.' Political parties in Greenland, which has been leaning toward eventual independence from Denmark for years, last week agreed to form a broad-based new coalition government in the face of Trump's designs on the territory. Those have angered many in Greenland and Denmark. In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Vance repeated the accusation that Denmark has 'really underinvested in the infrastructure and security of Greenland.' He said Trump's point is that 'this matters to our security, this matters to our missile defense, and we're going to protect America's interests come hell or high water.'
Saudi Gazette
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Danish prime minister refutes US claim on Greenland on visit to the Arctic territory
NUUK — Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the "USA should not take over Greenland" as she visits the semi-autonomous territory for a three-day trip aimed at building trust and cooperation with Greenlandic officials. It comes at a time when the Trump administration is seeking control of the vast Arctic territory. Greenland is a mineral-rich, strategically critical island that is becoming more accessible because of climate change. Trump has said that the landmass is critical to US security. Frederiksen announced plans for her visit after US Vice President JD Vance visited a US air base in Greenland last week and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory. On arrival, Frederiksen emphasized that she intends "to support Greenland in a very difficult situation." She said "I want to say to everyone in Greenland that I have only one wish, and that is to do everything I possibly can to take care of this wonderful country." Frederiksen is meeting the incoming Greenlandic leader, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, after an election last month that produced a new government. She is also to meet with the future Naalakkersuisut, the Cabinet, in a visit due to last through Friday. 'It has my deepest respect how the Greenlandic people and the Greenlandic politicians handle the great pressure that is on Greenland," she said in government statement announcing the the agenda are talks with Nielsen about cooperation between Greenland and has said in recent days that he welcomes the visit, and that Greenland would resist any US attempt to annex the years, the people of Greenland, with a population of about 57,000, have been working toward eventual independence from Trump administration's threats to take control of the island one way or the other, possibly even with military force, have angered many in Greenland and Denmark. The incoming government wants to take a slower approach on the question of eventual independence. — Euronews
Arab News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US vice president presses takeover of Greenland, says Denmark not keeping it safe from Russia and China
NUUK, Greenland/WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not doing a good job keeping Greenland safe and suggested the United States would better protect the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has pressed to take over. During a visit to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island, Vance said the US has no immediate plans to expand its military presence on the ground but will invest in resources including additional naval ships. He pledged respect for Greenland's sovereignty but also suggested the territory would come to see the benefit of partnering with the US, in remarks the Danish prime minister called unfair. 'Denmark has not kept pace and devoted the resources necessary to keep this base, to keep our troops, and in my view, to keep the people of Greenland safe from a lot of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China and other nations,' Vance said. He gave no details of the alleged incursions. Trump has frequently said that the United States has a security imperative to acquire the island, which has been controlled by Denmark since 1721. Vance's sharp attacks against Denmark — a longtime US ally and NATO member — offered another example of the little regard the Trump administration holds for traditional US alliances. Vance, in particular, has not held back in his messaging. He lectured European officials on free speech and illegal migration on the continent during an overseas trip last month and later accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of not showing enough gratitude to Trump during a contentious meeting at the White House. In Greenland on Friday, Vance said Russia, China and other nations are taking an 'extraordinary interest' in Arctic passageways, naval routes and minerals in the region. He said the US will invest more resources, including naval ships and military icebreakers that will have a greater presence in the country. As Greenlanders expressed deep unease about the visit, Vance vowed the people of Greenland would have 'self-determination' and the US would respect its sovereignty. 'I think that they ultimately will partner with the United States,' Vance said. 'We can make them much more secure. We could do a lot more protection. And I think they'd fare a lot better economically as well.' His remarks came just hours after a new broad government coalition that aims to keep ties with Denmark for now was presented in the capital, Nuuk. Greenland's new prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said the US visit signalled a 'lack of respect,' while Danish leaders expressed their commitment to Greenland. 'For many years we have stood side by side with the Americans under very difficult circumstances. Therefore the vice president's description of Denmark is not a fair one,' Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement to Danish news agency Ritzau. Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Vance 'has a point that we haven't done enough, but I'm a little provoked because it's also the Americans who haven't done enough.' Rasmussen said that the US today has a base with 200 soldiers, while during the Cold War the Americans had 17 military installations in Greenland with 10,000 soldiers. As Vance's visit was underway, Trump told reporters at the White House the US needs Greenland to ensure the 'peace of the entire world.' 'We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of, 'Do you think we can do without it?' We can't,' Trump said. Trump said Greenland's waterways have 'Chinese and Russian ships all over the place' and the United States will not rely on Denmark or anybody else to handle the situation. Scaled-back trip Vance greeted members of the US armed forces shortly after his arrival, thanking them for their service on the remote base located 750 miles (1,200 km) north of the Arctic Circle. The outside temperature at Pituffik was minus 3 degrees Fahrenheit (-19 C). Vance's wife Usha, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright accompanied him on the trip. Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. Pituffik is located along the shortest route from Europe to North America and is vital for the US ballistic missile warning system. The island, whose capital is closer to New York than it is to the Danish capital Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment. Mining companies operating in Greenland are mostly Australian, Canadian or British. A White House official has said Greenland has an ample supply of rare earth minerals that would power the next generation of the US economy. The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute. 'It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means,' he told Reuters. 'But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments,' he added. Polls have shown that nearly all Greenlanders oppose becoming part of the United States. Anti-American protesters, some wearing 'Make America Go Away' caps and holding 'Yankees Go Home' banners, have staged some of the largest demonstrations ever seen in Greenland. On Thursday, residents in Nuuk planted Greenlandic flags in the snow and a cardboard sign in English that said 'Our Land. Our Future.' Nielsen on Friday urged political unity. His pro-business party, the Democrats, which favors a gradual independence from Denmark, emerged as the biggest party in a March 11 election. 'At a time when we as a people are under pressure, we must stand together,' Nielsen told a press conference.
Reuters
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
US Vice President Vance to visit Greenland, the island Trump wants to control
NUUK, Greenland, March 28 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President JD Vance will visit Greenland on Friday at a time when President Donald Trump is renewing his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. In a scaled-back version of a trip plan that had angered authorities in both Greenland and Denmark, Vance was expected to fly to the U.S. military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic island. Under the terms of a 1951 agreement, the U.S. is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and Copenhagen. The initial plan had been for Vance's wife, Usha, to visit a popular dog-sled race together with national security adviser Mike Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or Denmark. Waltz, who has faced pressure over Trump administration officials' discussion of sensitive Houthi attack plans on the Signal messaging app, will still be on the Greenland trip, according to a White House source. Greenland's acting Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit a provocation as the country has not yet formed a new government after a March 11 election. Public broadcaster KNR reported on Thursday, without identifying its sources, that a pro-business party that emerged as the winner of the election will present a broad coalition on Friday. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the U.S. visit " unacceptable" although Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen welcomed news of the revised visit as a positive, de-escalating step. By changing the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the U.S. presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security programme at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank. "A change of course was needed," Sendak told Reuters. "It is positive, given the very public back and forth between the Danish and Greenland governments and the Trump administration about the intent of the initial visit." Still, Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, saying the U.S. needs the strategically located island for national and international security. "So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark," he said on Wednesday. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned what he called Trump's escalated rhetoric. WHO BENEFITS FROM DISPUTE? The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute. "It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means to try to get full control over Greenland," he told Reuters. That would break with many fundamental principles and rules that the U.S. has benefited from and has been a pillar for, he said. "But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments," he added. "And the real winner in this unnecessary drama is Russia, who gets exactly what they want: discord in the transatlantic relationship." Tom Dans, a former member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency, said Vance's visit would help the Trump administration understand where it can collaborate further with Greenland. "They're trying to put the picture together for the future and understand where the best intersections are going to be for U.S. policy and investments to help Greenland," Dans, a businessman, told Reuters.
Arab News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US Vice President Vance to visit Greenland, the island Trump wants to control
NUUK: US Vice President JD Vance will visit Greenland on Friday at a time when President Donald Trump is renewing his insistence that Washington should take control of the semi-autonomous Danish a scaled-back version of a trip plan that had angered authorities in both Greenland and Denmark, Vance was expected to fly to the US military base at Pituffik in the north of the Arctic the terms of a 1951 agreement, the US is entitled to visit its base whenever it wants, as long as it notifies Greenland and initial plan had been for Vance's wife, Usha, to visit a popular dog-sled race together with national security adviser Mike Waltz, even though they were not invited by authorities in either Greenland or who has faced pressure over Trump administration officials' discussion of sensitive Houthi attack plans on the Signal messaging app, will still be on the Greenland trip, according to a White House acting Prime Minister Mute Egede called the visit a provocation as the country has not yet formed a new government after a March 11 broadcaster KNR reported on Thursday, without identifying its sources, that a pro-business party that emerged as the winner of the election will present a broad coalition on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the US visit 'unacceptable' although Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen welcomed news of the revised visit as a positive, de-escalating changing the trip, the Trump administration is seeking to refocus the discussion on the topics it is interested in: the US presence on Greenland, military capabilities available, and the wider security of the Arctic, said Catherine Sendak, head of the Transatlantic Defense and Security program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank.'A change of course was needed,' Sendak told Reuters. 'It is positive, given the very public back and forth between the Danish and Greenland governments and the Trump administration about the intent of the initial visit.'Still, Trump reiterated his desire to take over Greenland, saying the US needs the strategically located island for national and international security.'So, I think we'll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,' he said on Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen condemned what he called Trump's escalated benefits from dispute? The question now is how far Trump is willing to push his idea of taking over the island, said Andreas Oesthagen, a senior researcher on Arctic politics and security at the Oslo-based Fridtjof Nansen Institute.'It is still unlikely that the United States will use military means to try to get full control over Greenland,' he told would break with many fundamental principles and rules that the US has benefited from and has been a pillar for, he said.'But it is unfortunately likely that President Trump and Vice President Vance will continue to use other means of pressure, such as ambiguous statements, semi-official visits to Greenland, and economic instruments,' he added.'And the real winner in this unnecessary drama is Russia, who gets exactly what they want: discord in the transatlantic relationship.'Tom Dans, a former member of the US Arctic Research Commission during Trump's first presidency, said Vance's visit would help the Trump administration understand where it can collaborate further with Greenland.'They're trying to put the picture together for the future and understand where the best intersections are going to be for US policy and investments to help Greenland,' Dans, a businessman, told Reuters.
