Major Differences in White House Talks: Danish Foreign Minister Condemns Trump's "Conquest" Intentions, Greenland Foreign Minister Says "The Meeting Was Very Smooth"
On Wednesday, the talks between the Danish Foreign Minister and the Greenland Foreign Minister in Washington with the U.S. Vice President and Secretary of State on the issue of Greenland ended in disagreement. For weeks, U.S. President Trump has emphasized the importance of American control over Greenland. He believes that the United States should occupy the island to prevent Russia or China from doing so.
According to AFP, Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen condemned Trump's "conquest" intentions towards Greenland after meeting with U.S. officials at the White House.
He told reporters: "The president clearly expressed his views, while our position differs."
He added, "Therefore, we still have fundamental differences, but we also accept the existence of these differences." He announced the establishment of a "high-level working group to study whether we can find a way forward together."
He stated that Copenhagen hopes to "cooperate closely with the United States, but this cooperation must be based on mutual respect."
Greenland Foreign Minister Mottelgaard said after the meeting: "It was a very tense day for all of us, but I want to tell you that today's meeting was very smooth."
For weeks, Donald Trump has claimed he wants to control the strategically important and resource-rich territory of Greenland. He believes that the United States should occupy the island to prevent Russia or China from doing so.
The U.S. president also said that all options are under consideration to ensure the security of this autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, including the possibility of military intervention.
Greenland and Denmark have insisted that the territory is not for sale, and the threat of using force is irresponsible, calling on allies to jointly address security issues.
According to Reuters, on Wednesday, Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen and Greenland Foreign Minister Mottelgaard met with U.S. Secretary of State Rubio and Vice President Vance at the White House. After the meeting, they announced that the United States and Denmark will establish a working group to discuss a wide range of issues related to Greenland.
German Foreign Minister Pistorius said on Thursday that NATO will not allow Russia or China to use the Arctic region for military purposes.
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland will not send troops to Greenland and added that an attack on the territory of another NATO member state would be a "political disaster," which would "lead to the end of the world as we know it."
Greenland's Premier Nielsen said on Facebook on Thursday: "This is not the time for internal discussions. This is the time for unity, calmness, and responsibility."
Sources: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1854429811084352/
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