Denmark's prime minister has said that her country faces a "decisive moment" in its diplomatic battle over Greenland after US President Donald Trump again suggested using force to seize the Arctic territory.
Ahead of meetings in Washington from Monday on about the global scramble for key raw materials, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that "there is a conflict over Greenland.”
"This is a decisive moment" with stakes that go beyond the immediate issue of Greenland's future, she added in a debate with other Danish political leaders on Sunday.
Frederiksen posted on Facebook that "we are ready to defend our values wherever it is necessary, also in the Arctic. We believe in international law and in people’s right to self-determination."
Europe coordinates response
Britain has said discussions with other NATO members on deterring Russian activity in the Arctic were "business as usual", after media reports that the UK was in talks with its European allies about deploying a military force to Greenland.
The Telegraph reported on Saturday that military chiefs from Britain and other European countries were drawing up plans for a possible NATO mission in Greenland, which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wanted to acquire.
The newspaper said British officials had begun early-stage talks with Germany, France and others on plans that could involve deploying British troops, warships and aircraft to protect Greenland from Russia and China.
British transport minister Heidi Alexander, asked on Sky News whether Britain was discussing troop deployments, said talks on how to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Arctic were "business as usual".
"It's becoming an increasingly contested geopolitical region, with Russia and China, you would expect us to be talking to all our allies in NATO about what we can do to deter Russian aggression in the Arctic Circle," Alexander said.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported that a group of European countries, led by Britain and Germany, is discussing plans to boost their military presence in Greenland to show US President Donald Trump that the continent is serious about Arctic security.
Germany will propose setting up a joint NATO mission to protect the Arctic region, the Bloomberg report added, citing people familiar with the plans.
Trump says controlling the island is crucial for US national security because of the rising Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic.
Trump said on Friday that the US needs to own Greenland to prevent Russia or China from occupying it in the future. He has repeatedly said that Russian and Chinese vessels are operating near Greenland, something Nordic countries have rejected.
