Lars Løkke Rasmussen. Source: Flickr, Brookings Institution, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, sees no immediate risk of “annexation”—but acknowledges that the threat of American influence has moved closer.
On Thursday, Lars Løkke Rasmussen aired his thoughts on where the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland currently stand regarding the threats from the U.S. President about possible military annexation.
I mean, we do not consider a military annexation as something that could probably happen—not at all. That said, it does not mean that we consider the matter closed. But I am also aware that these two things are getting closer and closer to each other compared to the first period. So, we take it very, very seriously.
This is what Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said on Friday at a press briefing in Aarhus, which KNR has gained insight into.
On Saturday, he and the defense minister travelled to the United States, where they will, among other things, talk about transatlantic security. According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit will specifically address Russia’s war against Ukraine and the buildup of defense in Europe.
But at the press briefing, Lars Løkke Rasmussen put his thoughts into words when it comes to the threat to Greenland. Here he provided insight into how serious he and European leaders see the situation.
We are really happy that we have had this strong European solidarity. We should not underestimate the significance of Macron’s visit to Greenland. And I have been informed that many other European leaders are ready to visit Greenland. But we also have to play this wisely. But I know that there is a lot of truth in the story, which could be presented if necessary.
Influence campaigns and influence
Although the Foreign Minister does not believe that military annexation of the country is realistic, he still warns that the country is vulnerable to influence campaigns.
“There could then be other attempts (other than annexation, ed.). And one must understand that Greenland is a small society that will be open to some form of influence”.
If you have been wondering why the Greenlandic government seems to have closer cooperation with Denmark than before the Inartsisartut election, it is precisely to send a signal to, among others, the USA.
“That is why we are ramping up our internal cooperation with the Greenlandic government and within the Kingdom of Denmark, and we are reaching out to European friends. Lots of solidarity and many outreach activities aimed at American society”.
A journalist present at the press briefing asked the Foreign Minister if it is influence from the U.S. government that he is worried about. But he denies it.
“Not necessarily. I’m not talking about the government, but you know, it all started with the visit of his son, Donald Jr., Trump, and these market people. You saw these people with caps and stuff, and dollars in the streets of Nuuk. So you shouldn’t rule out the possibility that someone could try to manipulate the Greenlandic population. But the Greenlanders are also very resilient”.
Military buildup
Currently, Greenland and Denmark are in the process of ramping up their military training and new Arctic defense packages in Greenland. This is because both the U.S., Greenland and Denmark believe that Russia’s buildup in the Arctic requires a response.
But at the same time, the Foreign Minister revealed that there are currently no concrete negotiations in cooperation with the U.S. on the same—even though the U.S. has repeatedly spoken about the military protection of Greenland being an important security issue for American security.
Arctic Command released a video on Thursday. Here, among other things, clips from some of the latest military training exercises in the country can be seen.
“We act while the Americans talk,” says Lars Løkke Rasmussen and continues:
Earlier this year, we presented an Arctic package, and with the new package 2 we are talking about building military capacity in Greenland. If we can get NATO to take greater responsibility in the Arctic—which we have already had success with—and if we can show strong European solidarity and strengthen cooperation between the EU and Greenland, then we can overcome this in a peaceful way, so to speak.
Cautious optimism
Denmark has experienced an interest from American politicians like never before, says Lars Løkke Rasmussen. So far, there have been three delegations from Congress, and two more may be on the way.
But while President Trump continues to speak out harshly about the possibility of a military takeover of Greenland, the Foreign Minister believes that the rest of the senior politicians are more nuanced and rational.
Although the situation surrounding Greenland is still serious, Lars Løkke Rasmussen is optimistic. This is due to close cooperation with the Greenlandic government on armaments and with the other European and Arctic countries.
“I have a feeling that the administration and senior politicians in the U.S. have a very nuanced approach. We are aware that there are issues related to Greenland and NATO in terms of security, and we are also prepared to cooperate with the Americans on this.”
“But of course it can never be about annexation. So, it is not that I feel that this is over. It is not.”
At the same time, the Foreign Minister compares the Greenlandic election to the election in Canada. Here, the leader of the Liberal Party, Mark Carney, won after running an election campaign in which he distanced himself greatly from Donald Trump’s overtures to incorporate the country as part of the United States.
“I think, if you look at the outcome of the Greenlandic election and Canada, there is a reaction when you put pressure on people. You should not underestimate that there can actually be a positive effect, created by something that is fundamentally a negative issue. So, I remain calm and optimistic.”
“I have the impression, when you talk to the president and others in the administration, that they are aware that we should solve these issues in close cooperation.”
Source: Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (in Danish)