It was a contentious, aggressive phone name, 5 days earlier than the inauguration of President Trump on Jan. 20.
Talking to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, Mr. Trump insisted he needed the USA to take over Greenland, the large and autonomous Danish island that occupies a strategic a part of the ocean because the ice caps soften and new transport lanes open up.
The tone and content material of the icy alternate was described by two European officers who had been briefed on the 45-minute name and requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. The USA has not publicly commented on the decision.
Ms. Frederiksen made numerous ideas for extra cooperation on army and financial points, however insisted that Greenland, which already hosts an essential American base, was not on the market, in line with the European officers.
Since that Jan. 15 name, whose aggressive tenor was earlier reported by The Monetary Occasions, Denmark has tried to calm the waters, urging its companions within the European Union to not inflame the state of affairs till issues develop into extra clear, the officers stated. The difficulty of Greenland just isn’t on the agenda for an E.U. overseas affairs council assembly in Brussels on Monday, for instance.
If Mr. Trump decides to stress Denmark with financial means, by way of tariffs, the European Union itself could be anticipated to reply as a complete with countertariffs, stated Zaki Laïdi, a professor at Sciences Po and an adviser to the previous E.U. overseas coverage chief, Josep Borrell Fontelles.
“I used to be informed that Trump is kind of critical about Greenland, and it’s going to be an enormous problem for the E.U., if we don’t react strongly to it,” Mr. Laïdi stated. He confirmed that “the Danes are saying, ‘Maintain it down,’ however they’re scared.”
That sense of foreboding was apparent in Davos, Switzerland, the place European leaders gathered final week with company executives and teachers for the World Financial Discussion board’s annual assembly. Rumors about Mr. Trump’s name with Ms. Frederiksen had been rampant on the gathering, as was nervousness about what a second Trump administration will imply for Europe as a complete.
For now, the Danes are concentrating on dialogue. On Friday, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Denmark’s overseas minister and prime minister throughout the first Trump administration, had a 20-minute phone dialogue with the brand new U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio. Afterward, Mr. Rasmussen stated that the 2 international locations had agreed to debate “the Arctic area” and that the dialog, which included different points like Ukraine, had a “good and constructive tone.”
The State Division, for its half, stated that Mr. Rubio had “reaffirmed the power of the connection” between the 2 international locations. The 2 males, the State Division stated, “mentioned the significance of deepening bilateral and regional cooperation on safety and protection, financial and commerce issues, and ending the battle in Ukraine.”
Formally, Denmark has stated little concerning the cellphone name between Mr. Trump and Ms. Frederiksen. An announcement from Ms. Frederiksen’s workplace instantly afterward made no point out of sharp disagreements however emphasised commerce with the USA and talked of cooperation, dialogue and enhanced funding in safety by Denmark.
“Within the dialog, the Prime Minister emphasised the significance of strengthening safety within the Arctic, and that the Kingdom of Denmark is able to shoulder even larger duty for this,” the assertion stated. Within the assertion, Ms. Frederiksen cited the chairman of the Greenlandic Parliament, Mute Egede, saying that Greenland just isn’t on the market and argued that “it’s as much as Greenland itself to decide on independence.”
The officers who had been briefed on the cellphone name and Mr. Laïdi advised that Mr. Trump’s intentions had been unclear, and that he may transfer to encourage Greenlanders to vote for independence in a referendum after which to bind themselves to the USA. Or he might wish to stress Denmark and the European Union with tariffs. Brussels is working with the Danes to strike the proper tone and to determine what Mr. Trump actually needs, one official stated.
In a response to questions on Sunday, the Danish prime minister’s workplace stated it did “not acknowledge the interpretation of the dialog given by nameless sources.”
Below a 2009 settlement with Denmark, Greenland can declare independence solely after a profitable referendum — which Mr. Egede has advised is likely to be held in tandem with the island’s upcoming parliamentary election in April.
Mr. Trump has known as U.S. management over Greenland “an absolute necessity” for Western safety, and on Saturday, in a gaggle with reporters, stated “I feel we’re going to have it.”
Friis Arne Petersen, a former Danish ambassador to Washington, stated that “Europe, Greenland and the remainder of the world should take Donald Trump’s statements very critically, as a result of they had been rigorously ready.”
“The phrases used and their context left no room for interpretation,” he stated in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro. Mr. Trump’s curiosity in Greenland was extra business in his first time period — when he first provided to purchase it — however is now predominantly about safety, Mr. Petersen stated.
The difficulty of Greenland “is of the utmost significance to the E.U.,” Mr. Laïdi stated. “Our credibility is at stake. The Danish wish to hold a low profile however that’s not the best way the world works.”
Greenland, with a inhabitants of round 60,000, was a Danish colony till it grew to become self-ruling with its personal Parliament in 1979. It stays a territory of Denmark, with Copenhagen exercising management over its overseas and protection coverage.