The Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said Greenland\u2019s defence was a \u201ccommon concern\u201d for the whole of Nato, as troops started arriving from across Europe as a result of Donald Trump\u2019s threats to take the Arctic island by force.<\/p>\n
Troops from France, Germany, the UK, <\/strong>Norway and Sweden, among others, were on their way to Greenland<\/a>, a largely autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, on Thursday. Denmark also announced it would be increasing its military presence.<\/p>\n It comes after a difficult meeting<\/a> in Washington on Wednesday between the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark, Vivian Motzfeldt and Lars L\u00f8kke Rasmussen, and the US vice-president, JD Vance, and secretary of state, Marco Rubio.<\/p>\n The visit was intended to smooth relations between Denmark and Greenland and the US, but it did not appear to have had the desired effect. Afterwards, Trump reiterated<\/a> his previous comments that the US \u201cneeds\u201d Greenland for national security, adding that Denmark could not be relied on to protect the island and that \u201csomething will work out\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement released on Thursday, Frederiksen said it was \u201cnot an easy meeting\u201d and that a working group was now being set up to discuss how Arctic security could be improved.<\/p>\n Denmark will also be strengthening its military presence in Greenland, the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, says. Photograph: Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg\/NurPhoto\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, that does not change the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement because the American ambition to take over Greenland is intact,\u201d she added. \u201cThis is obviously serious and therefore we continue our efforts to prevent that scenario from becoming a reality.\u201d<\/p>\n There was, she said, agreement within Nato that \u201ca strengthened presence in the Arctic is crucial for European and North American security\u201d.<\/p>\n She added that Denmark<\/a> had \u201cinvested significantly in new Arctic capabilities\u201d, while \u201ca number of allies\u201d were taking part in joint exercises \u201cin and around\u201d Greenland. \u201cThe defence and protection of Greenland is a common concern for the entire Nato alliance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Greenland\u2019s prime minister, said the first meeting marked \u201can important step\u201d and that \u201cdialogue is now under way\u201d. However, he stipulated that dialogue with the US was dependent on \u201crespect for our constitutional position, for international law, and for our right to our own country\u201d.<\/p>\n Nielsen also reiterated several points including that Greenland was \u201cnot for sale\u201d, would not be owned by, governed by or be part of the US, and was a \u201cdemocratic society with self-government\u201d, part of the kingdom of Denmark and, in turn, a member of Nato<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Danish military plane ion the runway at Nuuk, Greenland, on Thursday Photograph: Evgeniy Maloletka\/AP<\/p>\n