Greenland tensions: Denmark urges calm amid Trump's bold remarks
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, has called for calm following Donald Trump's remarks about Greenland. "Let us keep a cool head; we look forward to resuming cooperation with the new US administration and Donald Trump," he stated.
On Tuesday, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump did not rule out using force to take control of Greenland. His comments resounded globally, including in Denmark, since Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen stressed that it is Denmark's responsibility to ensure security in Greenland. "We are open to a dialogue with the Americans on how we can possibly cooperate even more closely than we do to ensure that the American ambitions are fulfilled," he declared.
He also noted that Trump is focusing on Arctic issues even before taking office. And that I can somewhat understand; it's similar for Denmark and NATO, he said during a press conference in Copenhagen.
The Panama Canal and Greenland: Trump does not rule out the use of force
Denmark is already cooperating with the U.S. in Greenland, where the American military base Pituffik, formerly known as Thule, is located. This area is strategically important because it can be used to track missiles launched towards the U.S., for example, by Russia. Rasmussen expressed his willingness to work with the new U.S. administration and to discuss security policy challenges.
The Danish opposition, including the far-right Danish People's Party, criticized Rasmussen for not having a decisive response to Trump's statements. Nevertheless, the Danish minister emphasizes that there is no foreign policy crisis and that he is ready for dialogue with the Americans.
Trump did not rule out military intervention regarding not only Greenland but also the Panama Canal. "We need them for economic security," he said on Tuesday.
""I’m not going to commit to that (renouncing military actions). It might be that you’ll have to do something. The Panama Canal is vital to our country," stated the president-elect.
