Greenland should ‘take the lead’ in talks with US, foreign minister says

Vivian Motzfeldt says she has ‘good expectations’ for talks with Marco Rubio amid US threats to instrumentality implicit Greenland.

Greenland’s overseas curate has said the Greenlandic authorities should “take the lead” successful planned talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arsenic the United States continues to threaten to instrumentality implicit the autonomous Danish territory.

“When it comes to Greenland, it should beryllium Greenland that takes the pb and speaks with the United States,” Vivian Motzfeldt said connected Friday, according to Danish broadcaster DR.

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She said the Greenlandic authorities should beryllium capable to prosecute successful dialog with different countries independently of Denmark.

“What would beryllium incorrect with america holding meetings with the United States connected our own? I presume that we [Denmark and Greenland] stock definite communal values and policies that some countries basal by,” Motzfeldt said.

Asked if she would similar to clasp adjacent week’s gathering with Rubio without her Danish counterpart, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Motzfeldt refused to remark and stressed that the talks volition beryllium held jointly.

“Greenland has been moving toward statehood, which would necessitate america to behaviour our ain overseas policy. But we are not determination yet. Until then, we person definite laws and frameworks that we indispensable follow,” she said.

The planned discussions travel arsenic US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said helium wants to instrumentality implicit Greenland – a self-governing territory of Denmark – successful remarks that person roiled European leaders.

Trump has hailed the island’s “strategic” value successful the Arctic portion and accused the Danish authorities of failing to adequately unafraid the waters astir Greenland – a assertion rejected by section politicians.

“We don’t privation Russia oregon China going to Greenland, which – if we don’t instrumentality Greenland – you’re going to person Russia oregon China arsenic your next-door neighbour. That’s not going to happen,” helium told reporters successful the White House connected Friday.

The Trump medication besides has refused to regularisation retired utilizing subject unit to prehend Greenland, telling reporters this week that “all options” stay connected the table.

Recent US attacks connected Venezuela and the abduction of the South American country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, person spurred heightened concerns astir what Trump whitethorn beryllium readying for Greenland.

Future of NATO

Rubio held talks with NATO main Mark Rutte connected Friday arsenic the transatlantic subject confederation has sought to deflect Washington’s involvement successful Greenland by emphasising efforts to boost information successful the Arctic.

A NATO spokesperson said Rutte spoke with Rubio “on the value of the Arctic to our shared information and however NATO is moving to heighten our capabilities successful the High North”.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that an armed US attack to instrumentality Greenland could spell the extremity for NATO.

But the caput of NATO’s forces successful Europe, US General Alexus Grynkewich, said earlier successful the time that the confederation was acold from being successful “a crisis”.

“There’s been nary interaction connected my enactment astatine the subject level up to this constituent … I would conscionable accidental that we’re acceptable to support each inch of confederation territory inactive today,” Grynkewich told reporters during a sojourn to Finland.

“So I spot america arsenic acold from being successful a situation close now,” helium added.

Motzfeldt, Greenland’s overseas minister, besides said she had “good expectations” for the upcoming gathering with Rubio but underlined that it is “too aboriginal to accidental however it volition end”.

“From our side, it is wide that Greenland needs the United States, and the United States needs Greenland. That work indispensable beryllium taken seriously,” she said, reiterating the request for a instrumentality to a trust-based narration with Washington.