Denmark, Greenland envoys meet US officials

WASHINGTON — Denmark and Greenland's envoys to Washington have begun an effort to urge US lawmakers as well as key Donald Trump administration officials to step back from President Donald Trump's call for a "takeover" of the strategic Arctic island.

Denmark's ambassador, Jesper Moller Sorensen, and Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenland's chief representative to Washington, met on Thursday with White House National Security Council officials to discuss a renewed push by the US president to acquire Greenland, perhaps by military force, according to Danish government officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the meeting.

The envoys have also held a series of meetings this week with US lawmakers as they look to enlist help in persuading Trump to back off his threat.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Danish officials next week.

Trump, in a New York Times interview published on Thursday, said he has to possess the entirety of Greenland instead of just exercising a longstanding treaty that gives the United States wide latitude to use Greenland for military posts.

"I think that ownership gives you a thing that you can't do with, you're talking about a lease or a treaty. Ownership gives you things and elements that you can't get from just signing a document," Trump told the newspaper.

The US is party to a 1951 treaty that grants it broad rights to establish military bases with the consent of Denmark and Greenland.

Meanwhile, Trump's vice-president, JD Vance, told reporters that European leaders should "take the president of the United States seriously", framing the issue as one of defense.

Danish officials were hopeful about the upcoming talks with Rubio in Washington.

"This is the dialogue that is needed, as requested by the government together with the Greenlandic government," Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish broadcaster DR.

Meanwhile, the Danish public is also pushing back against the US takeover bid for Greenland.

"Denmark is strong and independent. Greenland is definitely not for sale," said Caroline Johansen, a restaurant worker in Copenhagen. Her voice is calm but firm.

Unwavering opposition

On the streets of Copenhagen, residents expressed unwavering opposition to what they see as an overreach.

Martin Rasmussen, a supermarket manager, could not hold back his anger. "Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and we're proud of that. I honestly don't see any reason why the United States should even consider taking territory from there. If that were to happen, it would create a very serious situation," he said.

Experts say the developments reflect a broader European security dilemma over the bloc's dependence on Washington.

Rasmus Sinding Sondergaard, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, told Xinhua News Agency that there is nothing new about Trump's interest in gaining control of Greenland. However, following recent US military operations in Venezuela, he said that it's "clearly something that's being taken very seriously, in Denmark and across Europe".

"Denmark and Europe's problem is that they are at the mercy of the American debate and American decisions. Europe has made itself dependent on the United States for its own security. This means the United States holds all the cards, at least in the short term," wrote Sigurd Falkenberg Mikkelsen, head of foreign affairs at Norway's public broadcaster NRK. The latest developments show that Europe must be prepared for major upheavals ahead, he warned.

AGENCIES — XINHUA