U.S. Military Annexation of Greenland Is Unlikely: Danish FM Rasmussen
Danish military drills in Greenland, June 2025. x/ @OJoelsen
July 4, 2025 Hour: 1:02 pm
However, ‘we cannot rule out the possibility that someone might try to manipulate the Greenlandic people,’ he said
On Friday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he does not believe the United States is likely to militarily annex Greenland but acknowledged his country takes President Donald Trump’s threats “very seriously.”
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“We do not consider military annexation to be something that is at all likely to happen,” he said during a news conference in Aarhus marking the start of Denmark’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will last until Dec. 31.
“That said, this issue is not resolved. I have always argued that Trump must be taken seriously, but not necessarily literally,” he added, thanking European allies for their “strong solidarity” with Denmark.
Rasmussen warned against underestimating the significance of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the island in June and said he is aware other European leaders are preparing to travel to Greenland.
“But we also have to act carefully. I know there is a lot of solidarity that could be shown if necessary,” the Danish diplomat said, noting that Denmark maintains contact with the U.S. at all levels.
Rasmussen said he believes some senior U.S. politicians and members of the Trump administration have a “very nuanced” approach to the idea of annexing Greenland.
“We are aware there are security issues related to Greenland and the Arctic. We are also prepared to cooperate with the Americans to address this. But, of course, it can never be on the basis of annexation.”
“It’s not that I feel the matter is resolved. It is not. I think we can rule out the possibility of any kind of military annexation,” Rasmussen said, though he acknowledged there could be “other attempts” and that Greenland’s population “might be open to some form of influence.”
“So we cannot rule out the possibility that someone might try to manipulate the Greenlandic people, but they are also very resilient,” the Danish diplomat said, adding that he has an “agreement” with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio “to meet and discuss when the time comes.”
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
