White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on 15/1 that European soldiers would not influence the US President's decisions or his objective of controlling Greenland. Her comments came after reports of several European nations deploying military personnel to the Danish island.

In response to Leavitt's remarks, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen declared that US control of Greenland is unacceptable. He emphasized, "That is not what we want in Denmark or Greenland; it contradicts international rules and infringes on sovereignty."

Leavitt at a White House press conference on 15/1. Photo: AP

These declarations followed the arrival of two transport aircraft carrying Danish soldiers in Greenland on 14/1. The UK, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden also announced deploying military personnel for a reconnaissance mission in Nuuk, Greenland's capital. This deployment is part of the "Arctic Endurance" exercise with NATO allies.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on 15/1, "The first group of French military personnel is already on the ground. Reinforcements, including naval, ground, and air force units, will arrive in the coming days."

Germany's Ministry of Defense stated the deployment's purpose is to assess conditions for "potential military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring regional security." European defense sources indicated that this limited deployment, involving only 13 German soldiers and one Dutch officer, aims to prepare national armies for future Arctic exercises.

Danish and Greenlandic officials met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on 14/1.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated the following day that a task force had been formed to discuss enhancing Arctic security. She noted, "This does not alter the fundamental disagreement, as the US's ambition to control Greenland remains unchanged."

Location of Greenland. Graphic: Britannica

Greenland, the world's largest island, is located near North America, positioned between the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. A Danish territory, it has a population of 57,000 and spans approximately 2,16 million square kilometers, making it larger than Mexico and over three times the size of the US state of Texas.

Its location on the shortest route between North America and Europe makes it strategically vital for Washington. Greenland also possesses abundant, largely untapped mineral resources.

President Trump first proposed annexing the island during his initial term and has reiterated this plan since returning to power last year. Trump believes that if the US does not control Greenland, China or Russia will.

Pham Giang (According to AFP)