MUNICH: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen will focus on Greenland with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Friday (Feb 13) on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, they stated.
Since returning to the White Home final 12 months, US President Donald Trump has argued that Washington wants to manage Greenland – an autonomous Danish territory – for American nationwide safety.
“There will likely be a comparatively transient assembly with the (Greenlandic) prime minister, the (Danish) prime minister, and the American secretary of state, the place I hope and consider they’re going to affirm that the method we have began is an efficient one and will proceed,” Danish International Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen informed Danish media as he arrived on the convention.
Final month, Trump backed down from his threats to grab Greenland after putting a “framework” deal with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte to make sure better US affect.
A US-Denmark-Greenland working group has been established to debate Washington’s safety considerations within the Arctic, however particulars haven’t been made public.
A primary assembly has already taken place, and a second one is due quickly, Rasmussen stated.
“It may effectively be tough, however it’s vital to pursue that course, and I hope – consider – that the transient assembly later right this moment with the US secretary of state will affirm it.”
Nielsen confirmed he could be collaborating in Friday’s assembly with Rubio.
“Now we have deliberate a gathering with Marco Rubio,” he informed Danish tv TV2.
“Now we have been on the coronary heart of a significant debate on safety in our area, and from the outset we stated that we have been able to assume our share of accountability on this regard,” he stated upon his arrival on the Munich convention.
NATO has launched a mission within the Arctic by which Denmark is taking part, notably by offering F-35 fighter jets, the Danish defence ministry stated.
In Munich, Frederiksen reiterated her name for Europe to extend its defence at a time when the US is disengaging.
“The People have been very trustworthy – from Trump’s inauguration speech to a brand new safety technique and a brand new defence technique, the threats towards Greenland – every part factors in a single course, specifically that the US, sadly, is shifting away” from Europe, she stated.
