The Danish Foreign Minister criticized President Donald Trump’s administration as a “tone” to criticize Denmark over its role in Greenland, saying his country is already investing in Arctic security and remains open to further cooperation with the US.
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen made a pointed statement in a video posted on social media on Saturday after US Vice President JD Vance visited the Strategic Island.
“There have been a lot of charges and a lot of allegations, and of course we are open to criticism,” Rasmussen said in English.
“But I’m totally honest. We’re not grateful for the tone it’s being delivered. This is not the way you talk to your close allies. And I still think Denmark and the US are close ally.”
On a fleeting visit, Vance accused Denmark of continuing to protect Greenland, predicting that the US would better protect the semi-autonomous Danish territory Trump longed for and pressed to take over.
“Our message to Denmark is very simple. We’re not doing a good job from the people of Greenland,” Vance said Friday. “You’re not invested in the people of Greenland, and you’re not invested in this incredibly beautiful land security architecture filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
The US suggests that both Russia and China have strategic designs in Greenland.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredericksen also pushed back Vance’s claim that Denmark was not sufficient to defend in the Arctic Circle, calling her country a “good and strong ally.”
“For many years, we were standing by the Americans in extremely difficult circumstances,” she said, referring to the Danish battle developments along with US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The Vice President’s mention of Denmark is not accurate,” she added.
Fredericksen visited Greenland on April 2-4, and in consultation with the new government of semi-autonomous territory, she said on Saturday.
Vance has his wife Usha, national security adviser Mike Waltz and his wife, energy secretary Chris Wright, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, and former homeland security adviser Julia Neschwatt, waltz’s wife.
The Vice President emphasized that the US has “no option,” but he emphasized that he would take an important position to ensure the island’s security, as he encouraged a push in Greenland for independence from Denmark.
“I think they’ll eventually partner with the US,” Vance said. “We were able to make them safer. We were able to provide more protection, and I think they are just as much better economically.”
Greenland speaks
The response by Greenland Congress members and its residents to pushing Trump’s annexation to the island was ferocious.
Greenland lawmakers agreed to form a new government on Thursday and united to resist Trump’s overture. Four of the five parties elected to Greenland Parliament earlier this month agreed to form a coalition with 23 of the 31 seats in Parliament.
Prime Minister Jens Frederick Nielsen said at a press conference Friday that unification is necessary at this point.
“It’s very important that we put aside our differences and differences, because only this way can we deal with the heavy pressures that we are exposed to from outside,” he said.
The Danish Foreign Minister had struggled to note that in his remarks his country had increased its own investment in Arctic defense.
In January, Denmark announced 14.6 billion Danish cloners ($2.1 billion) for Arctic security covering three new naval vessels, long-range drones and satellites.
1951 US Defense Agreement
In his video, Rasmussen also cited the 1951 defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. Since 1945, the presence of US military forces in Greenland has diminished from thousands of soldiers across 17 bases and facilities on the island to remote Pitafik space stations in the northwest, with around 200 soldiers.
The 1951 agreement “provides ample opportunities for the United States to have a stronger military presence in Greenland,” the Foreign Minister said. “If that’s what you want, let’s discuss it.”
Hundreds of protesters held demonstrations on Saturday outside the US embassy in Copenhagen, the Danish capital.
Trump argues that the US needs a vast Arctic Island for domestic and international security and has not ruled out the use of force to ensure it.
“We’re not talking about US peace. We’re talking about world peace. We’re talking about international security,” Trump insisted on Friday to a White House reporter.
Asked about the potential use of force to annex the territory, Vance emphasized that the US administration did not believe it would “be necessary.”