Greenland Troop Boost Intended to Meet Trump’s Concerns, Denmark Says
Lars Lokke Rasmussen affirmed Denmark will honor commitments made during last week's White House discussions, including establishing a working group focused on Greenland.
"We will do that, and then we have to see what the Americans do," he told Danish media after meeting British counterpart Yvette Cooper in London.
Addressing the expanded Danish military footprint in Greenland, Rasmussen characterized American interpretation of recent Arctic developments as a "misunderstanding."
"What we have done in Greenland in recent days is not to build up to provoke the American president. It is to build up to meet his concern," he noted.
Aircraft carrying Danish military personnel touched down in western Greenland Monday following an announcement from the nation's armed forces earlier that day.
"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries must be respected," he was quoted as saying by a public broadcaster.
'We have red lines that can't be crossed'
In a separate interview with Sky News, Rasmussen revealed Denmark and Greenland have "kept Chinese investment away" from the Arctic island.
"We have red lines that can't be crossed," he noted, adding that Europe as a whole would respond to the US president's tariff threat, not only Denmark.
"You can't threaten your way to ownership of Greenland ... You have a desire, you have a vision, you have a request, but you will never be able to achieve that by putting pressure on us," said the Danish foreign minister.
His statements followed the London meeting with Cooper, part of a broader tour across European capitals for consultations on Arctic security amid Trump's tariff ultimatums regarding Greenland.
US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Rasmussen convened last week in Washington.
After those discussions, Rasmussen acknowledged "fundamental disagreement" due to Washington's persistent pursuit of the self-governing Danish territory.
Trump, meanwhile, claimed following the meeting that Denmark could not be relied upon to "fend themselves off" against what he described as encroaching Russian and Chinese influence.
Saturday brought Trump's announcement that Washington would impose 10% tariffs on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland from Feb. 1, rising to 25% in June until there is a deal for "the complete and total purchase of Greenland."
In response, European leaders rejected Trump's tariff threats against the eight European nations, and reiterated solidarity with Denmark.
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