Denmark agreed on Friday to talk about the Arctic Region with Washington, said Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, after his first phone call with the maximum diplomat of the administration of President Donald Trump, who wants control of Greenland.
Rasmussen and the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had a 20 -minute conversation in a “good and constructive tone”, in which they talked about Ukraine, European security and the situation in the Middle East, according to the Danish ministry in a release.
The State Department said Friday that Rubio “reaffirmed the strength of the relationship” between the two countries in the call.
Trump He has expressed his interest in Greenland, autonomous territory of Denmarkbecomes part of the United States. He has not ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to give it to him.
The strategic situation of Greenlandon the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the United States ballistic missile alert system, it has made it a priority for Trump.
The Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said on January 15 that she spoke by phone with Trump and told her that it corresponds to Greenland herself deciding on any independence.
Financial Times reported Friday that this call was heated, with Trump insisting that he was serious about his determination to take care of Greenland. The newspaper cited European officials.
“Arctic’s security was not on the agenda, but it was agreed that it will be discussed between the United States, Denmark and Greenland at a later date,” the Danish ministry said Friday.
The Prime Minister of Greenland, Mute Egede, who has intensified his campaign in favor of independence, has repeatedly stated that the island is not for sale and that it corresponds to its inhabitants to decide its future.
Although Trump already referred to the possibility of getting with Greenland in 2019, during his first mandate in the White House, his refusal to rule out the use of military or economic power surprised many Danes.
