Trump's Greenland Push Stirs EU Divisions

Lionel Laurent, Bloomberg Opinion Columnist, discusses the state of US-EU relations post-Davos as talks begin over the fate of Greenland.

The Danish prime minister arrived in Greenland on Friday for talks on the island’s future after President Donald Trump seemingly deescalated his threats to take over the Arctic territory.
Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen flew to Nuuk from Brussels, where she attended a summit of European Union leaders and met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. In the Greenlandic capital she will hold talks with the territory’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, but they’re not expected to speak to media.
“We agree that NATO should increase its engagement in the Arctic,” Frederiksen said in another post on X after meeting with Rutte. “Defense and security in the Arctic are a matter for the entire alliance.”
The US president has said he’d agreed to a “framework” with Rutte over Greenland. Trump has also said he won’t use force to take over the territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark but has its own government. The comments have been welcomed by Danish and Greenlandic leaders as signs of deescalation, though policymakers have also voiced skepticism about whether Trump might change course again.
For the Nordic leaders, the red line in any agreement is sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as Greenlanders’ right of self-determination. They’ve both signaled they’re prepared to discuss all other aspects of how better to secure the Arctic. 
In Copenhagen, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Friday that only a framework — not an actual agreement — has been established on Greenland following talks involving Rutte and Trump. The foreign minister told reporters that work is now under way to draw up a plan for a solution between the US and Denmark, “which also has a NATO dimension.”
Meanwhile, Greenland’s Nielsen said Thursday he’s open to options including a permanent North Atlantic Treaty Organization mission.
--------
Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube
Weekdays 7am-6pm ET
WATCH HERE: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF

Follow us on X:   / bloombergradio  

Subscribe to our Podcasts:

Bloomberg Daybreak: http://bit.ly/3DWYoAN
Bloomberg Surveillance: http://bit.ly/3OPtReI
Bloomberg Intelligence: http://bit.ly/3YrBfOi
Balance of Power: http://bit.ly/3OO8eLC
Bloomberg Businessweek: http://bit.ly/3IPl60i

Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:
Apple CarPlay: https://apple.co/486mghI
Android Auto: https://bit.ly/49benZy

Visit our YouTube channels:
Bloomberg Podcasts:    / bloombergpodcasts  
Bloomberg Television:    / @markets  
Bloomberg Originals:    / bloomberg  
Quicktake:    / @bloombergquicktake