European Troops Arrive In Greenland Amid Donald Trump’s Takeover Talk | EUROtoday

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Troops from a number of European international locations continued to reach in Greenland on Thursday in a present of help for Denmark as talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the way forward for the Arctic island.

Denmark introduced it could improve its navy presence in Greenland on Wednesday as international ministers from Denmark and Greenland had been making ready to satisfy with White House representatives in Washington.

Several European companions — together with France, Germany, the U.Ok., Norway and Sweden — began sending symbolic numbers of troops already on Wednesday or promised to take action within the following days.

The troop actions had been supposed to painting unity amongst Europeans and ship a sign to President Donald Trump that an American takeover of Greenland is just not vital as NATO collectively can safeguard the safety of the Arctic area amid rising Russian and Chinese curiosity.

“The first French military elements are already en route” and “others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron introduced Wednesday, as French authorities stated about 15 troopers from the mountain infantry unit had been already in Nuuk for a navy train.

Germany will deploy a reconnaissance group of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, the Defense Ministry stated.

On Thursday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated the intention was “to establish a more permanent military presence with a larger Danish contribution,” in line with Danish broadcaster DR. He stated troopers from a number of NATO international locations can be in Greenland on a rotation system.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, stated Wednesday {that a} “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland stays with Trump after they held extremely anticipated talks on the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rasmussen added that it stays “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland” however that dialogue with the U.S. would proceed at a excessive degree over the next weeks.

Inhabitants of Greenland and Denmark reacted with nervousness but in addition some aid that negotiations with the U.S. would go on and European help was turning into seen.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the continuation of “dialogue and diplomacy.”

“Greenland is not for sale,” he stated Thursday. “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed from the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”

In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, native residents instructed The Associated Press they had been glad the primary assembly between Greenlandic, Danish and American officers had taken place however recommended it left extra questions than solutions.

Several individuals stated they seen Denmark’s resolution to ship extra troops, and guarantees of help from different NATO allies, as safety in opposition to doable U.S. navy motion. But European navy officers haven’t recommended the objective is to discourage a U.S. transfer in opposition to the island.

Maya Martinsen, 21, stated it was “comforting to know that the Nordic countries are sending reinforcements” as a result of Greenland is part of Denmark and NATO.

The dispute, she stated, is just not about “national security” however fairly about “the oils and minerals that we have that are untouched.”

On Wednesday, Poulsen introduced a stepped-up navy presence within the Arctic “in close cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a safety setting by which “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”

“This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen stated.

Asked whether or not the European troop actions had been coordinated with NATO or what position the U.S.-led navy alliance would possibly play within the workouts, NATO referred all inquiries to the Danish authorities. However, NATO is at the moment finding out methods to bolster safety within the Arctic.

The Russian embassy in Brussels on Thursday lambasted what it known as the West’s “bellicose plans” in response to “phantom threats that they generate themselves”. It stated the deliberate navy actions had been a part of an “anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda” by NATO.

“Russia has consistently maintained that the Arctic should remain a territory of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation,” the embassy stated.

Rasmussen introduced the creation of a working group with the Americans to debate methods to work via variations.

“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he stated.

Commenting on the end result of the Washington assembly on Thursday, Poulsen stated the working group was “better than no working group” and “a step in the right direction.” He added however that the dialogue with the U.S. didn’t imply “the danger has passed.”

“We are really happy that action is being taken to make sure that this discussion is not just ended with that meeting alone,” Greenlandic MP Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam stated on Thursday throughout a information convention in Copenhagen.

She stated Greenlandic individuals understood they had been a “pivotal point” in a broader transformation of the worldwide rules-based order and that they felt accountable not only for themselves but in addition for the entire world to get it proper.

Høegh-Dam stated the navy operations shouldn’t occur “right next to our schools and right next to our kindergartens.”

Line McGee, 38, from Copenhagen, instructed AP that she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I don’t think the threat has gone away,” she stated. “But I feel slightly better than I did yesterday.”

Trump, in his Oval Office assembly with reporters, stated: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”

Niemann reported from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ciobanu from Warsaw, Poland.