Denmark on Monday announced a $2 billion investment in Arctic security, implicitly acknowledging President Donald Trump’s criticism of the region’s vulnerability to Russian aggression — a vulnerability Trump wanted to address by taking control of Greenland.
Trump said taking control of Greenland could be vital for “national security purposes” before he was inaugurated for his second term. On Tuesday, the left-wing New York Times (NYT) quoted European officials who said a conversation between Trump and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on January 15 was much more “contentious” and “aggressive” than previously reported.
WATCH — Danish Lawmaker Rejects Trump’s Greenland Purchase: “F*ck Off”:
“It was horrendous,” a European source told the Financial Times (FT). “He was very firm. It was a cold shower. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But I do think it is serious, and potentially very dangerous.”
In a meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said he was still very much interested in taking over Greenland.
“I think Greenland will be worked out with us. I think we’re going to have it. And I think the people want to be with us,” he said.
“I don’t know really what claim Denmark has to it. But it would be a very unfriendly act if they didn’t allow that to happen because it’s for protection of the free world. It’s not for us, it’s for the free world,” he said.
For the moment, the European counterstrategy appears to be responding to Trump’s criticisms of the Arctic security situation and hoping he decides to leave Greenland alone.
WATCH — Trump Phones Greenland Luncheon to Discuss Security with Don Jr., Charlie Kirk, and Sergio Go:
“We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said when announcing the increased defense spending on Monday.
Denmark’s entire defense budget adds up to 36.2 billion kroner (about $3.2 billion), so the Arctic program rolled out by Poulsen represents a substantial investment. Funding is included for improved surveillance on Arctic islands, three new Arctic ships that can launch helicopters and drones, more satellite coverage of the region, and more dogsled teams to patrol the ground.
“Greenland is entering a time of changing threat landscape. I am pleased that with this partial agreement we have taken the first step towards strengthening security in and around Greenland,” Greenland’s Independence and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said when the new spending was announced.
While Poulsen was shoring up defenses in the Arctic, Frederiksen was touring the capitals of Europe to reinforce “unity” on Greenland.
“Denmark is a small country with strong allies. And it is part of a strong European community where together we can meet the challenges we face,” Frederiksen said after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Scholz declared after meeting with Frederiksen that “borders must not be moved by force,” implicitly rejecting Trump’s Greenland grab without mentioning either the U.S. president or the potential 51st American state by name.
Scholz did explicitly reject Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but then switched from German to English to add, “to whom it may concern,” which might be a little more passive-aggressive than the tough unified stance on Greenland that Frederiksen was hoping for.
The UK Guardian reported on Tuesday that European Union (EU) officials are nervous about confronting Trump directly over Greenland, but they hope maneuvers like Denmark spending more on Arctic security might placate the hard-charging American president:
So far most EU leaders have refrained from commenting directly on Trump’s incendiary comments about Greenland, which sources said was a deliberate strategy. A senior EU official said it had been decided “not to go for a tit-for-tat because it is not seen as helpful”.
The official said at this stage “instead of escalating it is probably more useful” to let Denmark continue to represent itself, “but we are totally and fully supportive of them”. They added: “One of the challenges of the new administration will be the united reply [from the EU] but also to know when to reply, or are we just escalating a confrontation?”
The Danes are also seeking to improve relations with Greenland, which is an autonomous territory that has been thinking about full independence from Denmark. On Monday, the Danish government announced a $4.9 million initiative to combat racism and discrimination against Greenlanders.
Aaja Chemnitz, chair of the Greenland committee in the Danish parliament, said on Monday that it would be many years before Greenland could vote on an independence referendum, contradicting Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede’s recent statement that a referendum could be held within the next four years.
