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The EU and Nato have taken a vow of silence over Greenland after Denmark requested its allies refrain from reacting to Donald Trump’s threats to seize the Arctic island.
Copenhagen’s strategy of avoiding public confrontation with Trump, which four officials said was closely co-ordinated with Nato and the EU, underscores the scramble among US allies to work out how to handle the US president’s pugnacious diplomacy.
Trump had a fiery 45-minute phone call with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last week, putting Copenhagen into what officials described as “crisis mode”. Trump has threatened to target tariffs against Denmark and has refused to rule out taking the Arctic island by force.
Trump reiterated this weekend that he “will get” Greenland — an autonomous part of the kingdom of Denmark — while mocking Copenhagen’s “dog sleighs” defending the island, where the US has the biggest military presence.
The US, through Nato, is a military ally of Denmark with a mutual defence agreement. The EU’s governing treaty also contains a mutual defence clause.
Danish and European officials had initially hoped Trump’s comments about taking Greenland were a tactic to gain more influence over the territory, which has increased in importance as Russia and China seek more influence in the Arctic.
Officials in recent days realised the situation “should be taken far more seriously”, said one, given the global implications of Nato or the EU failing to condemn a violation of national sovereignty by one of their allies.
But Danish, EU and Nato officials have so far decided to minimise public discussion because of Copenhagen’s deep sensitivities and its conclusion that openly challenging Trump will only exacerbate the crisis.
“A low profile seems to be the safest bet with Trump. Hopefully he will be distracted by something else,” said one senior European official.
Another senior EU official said: “We believe a tit for tat approach is not useful. [But] we all stand by our basic principles, such as national sovereignty and territorial integrity, that must be respected. We are ready, and the Danes know that, to reaffirm that whenever needed.”
Frederiksen met her Norwegian and Swedish counterparts and Finland’s president in Copenhagen on Sunday night, where the issue of Greenland was raised in discussions.
No joint declaration was issued following the meeting. There have also been no efforts to co-ordinate Nato or EU statements in defence of Denmark or Greenland.
When asked about Trump’s Greenland comments, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte told the European parliament last week: “Trump has been right many times . . . we need to dialogue with him.”
“This is not about who rules or controls Greenland,” Rutte continued. “This is, of course, about making sure that the Arctic stays safe.” Neither the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, nor European Council president António Costa have made public statements regarding Trump’s threats against Denmark.
“We are not negotiating Greenland. We are supporting our member state Denmark,” EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Monday after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. “We are looking at it from the side of Europe, not reacting to what the US is doing.”
Behind the scenes senior officials in Brussels, Copenhagen and Nuuk are discussing how the bloc could strengthen its partnership with Greenland on critical raw materials extraction and energy, according to two European officials briefed on the discussions.
“There’s a lot of discreet work going on right now to see how we can strengthen co-operation with Greenland,” said one of the officials. They added the EU wanted to avoid appearing like the EU was making an offer, after years of inaction, “because Trump has put it on the agenda”.
Frederiksen’s government is “doing the right thing in communicating to the Americans in a firm but polite way,” said Rasmus Jarlov, a former Danish minister and current MP from the opposition Conservative party.
“It’s a good idea not to engage in verbal exchanges with the Trump administration. It’s a good idea to talk to allies in [the] rest of Europe; Europe should stand together if the situation should escalate,” he added.
Some officials have raised concerns over whether Europe could offer any credible response to Trump acting on his threats regarding Greenland.
“I’m not saying there’s no plan,” said the second European official. “But we don’t really have an alternative approach.”
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