Amid Donald Trump’s threat to acquire Greenland, the Nordic countries have said that they are ready for a discussion with the US and other NATO allies while rejecting any US’ claims on Nuuk.
In a joint
statement, the Foreign Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden stressed their support for NATO’s presence and vigilance in the region.
“We have substantially increased our investments in Arctic security and we are ready to do even more in close consultation with the United States and other NATO allies,” the statement stated.
It further said: “Security in the Arctic rests on respect for the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, including the inviolability of borders. The Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland, is a founding member of NATO, and has historically worked closely with the United States on Arctic Security, including through The Defence Agreement between the US and Denmark from 1951, which offers opportunities for increased security cooperation.”
The Nordic leaders, in the letter, pointed out that “the matters concerning Denmark and Greenland are for Denmark and Greenland to decide alone”.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory with a population of about 57,000, holds untapped rare earth deposits and sits on key polar routes that could become strategically important as ice melts. It also lies on the shortest missile route between Russia and the United States and hosts a US military base.
Trump had joked on Sunday that “we’ll worry about Greenland in about two months”.
His focus on gaining the autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic was reignited by the US military intervention in Venezuela. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States,” to deter adversaries like Russia and China.
Previously, the leaders of France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark issued a joint statement saying that sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders are “universal principles, and we will not stop defending them”.
The leaders underlined that Arctic security is a “key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security.”
“Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland,” the statement added.
