Greenland is the wild card in Denmark’s Brussels reign
Donald Trump’s claims on the island nation might derail Copenhagen’s EU Council presidency at any time.
By JACOB BARIGAZZI
Picture-Illustration Matthieu Bourel for POLITICO
This text is a part of the Danish Presidency of the EU particular report.
Denmark is taking the helm of EU affairs. Simply don’t inform Donald Trump.
That’s a joke being handed round in Brussels as the federal government in Copenhagen prepares to launch its presidency of the Council of the EU however seems to be to keep away from a disagreement — or worse, a conflict — with the U.S. president over Greenland.
The concern amongst some diplomats and officers is that Trump might use the larger visibility of Denmark, which counts Greenland as aterritory, to dial up his provocations. Copenhagen is attempting to maintain a low profile, as a substitute speaking up its EU agenda on migration, protection, safety and local weather.
Since taking workplace, Trump has made outlandish claims on Greenland, citing safety causes for aiming to realize management over the mineral-rich, self-ruling Danish territory — and even threatening repeatedly to make use of navy drive. “We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, one hundred pc,” he informed CNN as late as March.
Trump would possibly resort to related sound and fury “if the main target [on Denmark] is way increased and if Donald Trump actually finds out what the [EU Council] presidency is,” stated Rasmus Grand Berthelsen, senior director at Rasmussen International, a political consultancy agency.
Renewed escalation on the problem would inadvertently draw within the European Union and its nationwide member governments much more.
“Clearly, with the Danish presidency, the subject of Greenland sovereignty will naturally develop into much more outstanding,” Brando Benifei, chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the US, informed POLITICO. However “it’s already a pink line for the European governments and for all of the establishments: Any assault to Greenland freedoms is an assault to Europe.”
Denmark has been working exhausting to keep away from additional confrontation with the U.S. on the problem.
One Danish official with perception into the preparation of the presidency, granted anonymity to debate inner pondering, stated: “We don’t count on the U.S. administration’s strategy to Greenland to affect the Danish presidency of the Council. From the outset, we’ve acquired clear assist from the EU establishments and Member States on this matter.
“Even in a state of affairs the place it might be of curiosity to debate points associated to Greenland at a European stage, this may be the prerogative of the European Council [of EU leaders] and the Overseas Affairs Council [gathering foreign ministers], which aren’t chaired by the rotating presidency of the Council,” the Danish official stated.
Trump-splaining the EU Council
It’s one of many EU’s most well-known and famously misunderstood quirks: There’s a Council of the EU (or EU Council), the place completely different ranges of nationwide governments meet, in addition to a European Council gathering heads of state and authorities, and at last a Council of Europe. All are distinct establishments; the latter isn’t even an EU group.
For the U.S. president’s context: Denmark holds the six-month-long rotating presidency of the EU Council from July to December this 12 months, succeeding Poland and previous Cyprus. It organizes conferences of nationwide authorities representatives from the technical stage all the best way as much as ministerial conferences, amongst different duties.
Denmark’s presidency kicks off simply days after NATO’s June 24-25 summit in The Hague, the place allies are anticipated to agree on a brand new protection spending goal of 5 % of nationwide gross home product.
The Danish presidency will play a key function in negotiating legislative recordsdata that can decide how European Union members scale up their defenses.
However in Brussels, diplomats concern Trump’s threats to Greenland might pop up at any time and blow Copenhagen’s agenda broad open.
Trump’s Make America Nice Once more slogan “has develop into a geographical idea; he needs to go down in historical past as the person who has made America ‘larger’ — in geographical phrases,” stated an EU diplomat who was granted anonymity to talk freely.
Denmark’s plan for if that occurs: Preserve a cool head.
When U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused Denmark of underinvesting in Greenland, Danish Overseas Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen responded with a video in English saying: “After all we’re open to criticism … However let me be utterly trustworthy: We don’t respect the tone through which it’s being delivered.”
Denmark has even employed a lobbying firm to assist make its voice heard within the U.S. capital, in keeping with press reviews.
EU leaders in the meantime have expressed solidarity with Denmark. The almost definitely response to any new escalation can be a textual content agreed by European heads of state.
Embracing Greenland
For years, Denmark had an opt-out from collaborating within the EU’s widespread protection coverage. However after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Danish residents voted to take away the opt-outs.
That has made Denmark, along with newer NATO members Sweden and Finland, a part of a bloc of nations which might be totally built-in into each the transatlantic alliance and the EU’s protection coverage. All three are additionally near the Baltics and strongly assist Ukraine.
Trump’s threats have satisfied Denmark’s socialist Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of the necessity for a powerful EU, stated one official with data of Frederiksen’s pondering.
One query is whether or not the bloc will ever embrace Greenland itself. The island withdrew from a predecessor of the European Union, known as the European Neighborhood, in 1985 after securing dwelling rule from Denmark.
The Arctic nation — the world’s largest island that isn’t a continent — is dwelling to the Pituffik Area Base, a U.S.-operated set up within the northwest of Greenland. Pituffik is without doubt one of the most strategically essential navy websites on the earth; if Russian President Vladimir Putin have been to ship missiles towards the U.S., their shortest route can be through the North Pole and Greenland.
One possibility can be to attempt to get Greenland again on board, stated former Lithuanian Overseas Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis: “Invite Greenland again into the EU and I feel that that will …. doubtlessly change Trump’s narratives.”