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Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday.Siegfried Modola/The Globe and Mail
Denmark’s Foreign Minister has expressed some optimism about talks with the U.S. concerning the future of Greenland, but he said the crisis is not over.
Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters in Nuuk on Saturday that relations have improved since Mr. Trump backed away from his threat to invade Greenland and dropped plans to slap tariffs on countries that don’t support his quest to acquire the island, which is a self-governing part of Denmark.
“We are in a much better position now compared to a few weeks ago, because there are no threats on the table,” he said during a news conference with Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and the Foreign Minister of Greenland, Vivian Motzfeldt. “There’s no trade war with Europe, and that is good, and everybody agrees that we should try to solve this in a normal, diplomatic way.”
Canada opens new Greenland consulate with Governor-General Mary Simon, Inuit leaders at ceremony
However, he made it clear that Denmark and Greenland have drawn a red line when it comes to any discussions about sovereignty.
“It should be doable to find a solution, while at the same time respecting these red lines. I can’t foresee whether we will conclude that way, and therefore we are not out of the crisis,” he said.
Ms. Motzfeldt agreed that “our situation is much better than it was just a month ago.”
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The three foreign ministers in front of the Jean Goodwill, a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker.FLORENT VERGNES/AFP/Getty Images
A high-level working group with representatives from all three countries has begun discussing various issues raised by Mr. Trump including security in the Arctic. The negotiations have been respectful, Ms. Motzfeldt added, but “we are not where we want to be, yet.”
“There is going to be a long track. So where are we going to land at the end? It’s too early to say.”
Mr. Trump has indicated the U.S. is seeking a deal that will give American companies greater access to Greenland’s mineral resources and, potentially, sovereignty over some sections of the island. Mr. Rasmussen said the focus of the talks was on “how we can accommodate reasonable U.S. concerns about security in the Arctic” without jeopardizing the right of Greenlanders to self-determination.
The three foreign ministers met during a whirlwind weekend of diplomatic activity in Nuuk.
On Friday, Ms. Anand opened a Canadian consulate in the capital accompanied by Governor-General Mary Simon and more than 70 Inuit from across Canada. France is also opening a consulate and on Friday French officials were in Nuuk to introduce the new consul-general.
On Saturday, a group of U.S. politicians arrived in town to meet Greenlandic leaders and business people. The delegation includes Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who has been critical of Mr. Trump’s rapacious drive to acquire Greenland.
“We have many good friends, also from United States. We’re going to receive them and have a meeting with them,” Ms. Motzfeldt said.
The opening of Canada’s new consulate in Nuuk puts Canada among only a handful of countries with a diplomatic presence in Greenland. The Globe’s Paul Waldie shares his observations from the official ceremony.
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Mr. Rasmussen said the U.S. politicians are “people we know very well from previous visits here or in Denmark.” He added that Denmark and Greenland have never had so many visits from American lawmakers. “Many many good friends, bipartisan, who are strong believers in transatlantic co-operation,” he told reporters.
Canada plans to play an active role in Arctic security and build closer economic ties with Greenland, which includes improving transportation links and creating opportunities for mineral exploration and other businesses, Ms. Anand said in an interview on Saturday.
As if to drive home the point, Ms. Anand met her Danish and Greenlandic counterparts on a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, the Jean Goodwill, which travelled to Nuuk as part of the opening ceremony for the new consulate.
It’s not clear what contribution Canada will make to a new NATO mission called Arctic Sentry that is planned for the Far North. Canada’s military could be stretched, given that Prime Minister Mark Carney has also committed to joining the U.S., Britain, France and several other countries in providing security guarantees for Ukraine if there’s a ceasefire in the war with Russia.
Ms. Anand said protecting the Arctic would take precedence. “The defence and protection of the Canadian Arctic is a national priority, and so that is always calibrated into our activity,” she said.
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Ms. Anand speaks to Mr. Rasmussen on Saturday.Stoyan Nenov/Reuters
NATO’s focus in the Arctic is primarily on the growing menace from Russia, she added. “It is commonly known that Russia’s infrastructure and activity is moving closer and closer to the Arctic Circle. That’s a real threat. That’s a threat that we need to respond to.”
Mr. Rasmussen had high praise for the close relationship between Canada, Denmark and Greenland, and he echoed comments Mr. Carney made in Davos, Switzerland, last month about the importance of middle powers standing together against the rise of hard power.
“We look eye to eye on so many issues,” Mr. Rasmussen said Saturday.
“Not only about sovereignty and protecting people’s rights to self-determination but also broadly when we work together in UN and NATO, and we need to stand up for a world order where might isn’t right.”
