By LORNE COOK, Related Press
BRUSSELS (AP) — Denmark’s prime minister insisted on Monday that Greenland just isn’t on the market and referred to as for a sturdy response from her European Union companions ought to U.S. President Donald Trump press forward along with his menace to take management of the island.
“I will never support the idea of fighting allies. But of course, if the U.S. puts tough terms on Europe, we need a collective and robust response,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen advised reporters in Brussels as EU leaders gathered for protection talks.
European Council President Antonio Costa, left, greets Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as she arrives for an EU summit on the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Nicolas Tucat, Pool Picture by way of AP)
Greenland, residence to a big U.S. army base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally. Final month, Trump left open the likelihood that the American army may be used to safe Greenland, in addition to the Panama Canal. “We need Greenland for national security purposes,” he mentioned.
Frederiksen mentioned she has “great support” from her EU companions on the very fact “that everybody has to respect the sovereignty of all national states in the world, and that Greenland is today a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It’s part of our territory and it’s not for sale.”
She acknowledged U.S. issues about safety within the Arctic Area, the place Russia and China have been more and more energetic.
“I totally agree with the Americans that the High North, that the Arctic region is becoming more and more important when we are talking about defense and security and deterrence,” Frederiksen mentioned, including that the U.S. and Denmark may have “stronger footprints” in Greenland, in safety phrases.
“They are already there and they can have more possibilities,” she mentioned, underlining that Denmark itself may “scale up” its safety presence. “If this is about securing our part of the world, we can find a way forward,” Frederiksen mentioned.
Final week, her authorities introduced an almost $2 billion settlement with events together with the governments of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”
It might embrace three new Arctic naval vessels, two extra long-range surveillance drones and satellite tv for pc capability, the Protection Ministry in Copenhagen mentioned.
Frederiksen’s remarks got here as EU leaders met for protection talks however with no clear signal but from Trump about how he intends to attempt to finish Russia’s battle on Ukraine. The Europeans concern that any try to tug collectively a fast deal wouldn’t be favorable to Ukraine.
U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and NATO Secretary-Normal Mark Rutte have been set to hitch the bloc’s 27 leaders at a self-styled “retreat” at Egmont Place within the Belgian capital. The summit agenda focuses on EU-U.S. cooperation, army spending and ramping up Europe’s protection business.
The assembly comes as Europe’s greatest land battle since World Conflict II approaches its third anniversary, and with confidence in Trump shaky as he threatens his allies with tariffs. Trump already slapped duties on European metal and aluminum throughout his first time period.
“We were listening carefully to those words, and of course we are preparing also on our side,” EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas mentioned. However, she underlined, “there are no winners in trade wars. If … the U.S. starts a trade war, then the one laughing on the side is China. We are very interlinked.”
