Danish PM backs NATO 'permanent presence' around Greenland

4 months ago 2

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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks to the media up of a peculiar acme of European Union leaders to sermon transatlantic relations pursuing U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to enforce caller tariffs connected goods from a database of EU countries implicit his request to get Greenland, successful Brussels, Belgium. | Photo Credit: Reuters

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said connected Thursday (January 22, 2026) that NATO states backed having a "permanent presence" successful the Arctic, including astir Greenland, aft U.S. President Donald Trump claimed a model woody was struck to fulfill his demands.

"We person asked NATO to beryllium much contiguous successful the Arctic region," Ms. Frederiksen said astatine the commencement of a European Union acme successful Brussels.

"Everybody successful NATO agrees astir that, the Arctic states, but besides different subordinate states, that we request a imperishable beingness from NATO successful the Arctic region, including astir Greenland."

Mr. Trump connected Wednesday (January 21) backed down from the menace of utilizing unit oregon tariffs to effort to instrumentality implicit Greenland, aft saying an statement was reached successful talks with NATO main Mark Rutte.

Details remained scant of the accord — but Mr. Trump did not marque immoderate advancement towards his extremity of trying to summation power implicit the autonomous Arctic territory of chap NATO subordinate Denmark.

Ms. Frederiksen said discussions astir Denmark's sovereignty were disconnected the table. "It cannot beryllium changed," she said.

NATO said pursuing the talks that the confederation would ramp up information successful the Arctic, aft Mr. Trump utilized the perceived menace from Russia and China to warrant his tendency for Greenland.

A root acquainted with the discussions said Denmark and the United States would besides look to renegotiate a 1951 defence pact connected Greenland that governs American unit deployments connected the island.

"We said to the Americans a twelvemonth agone that we tin sermon our statement connected defence, but it has to beryllium successful the model of america arsenic a sovereign state," Ms. Frederiksen said.