Discussions at the White House between officials from Denmark, Greenland and the United States have ended in deep disagreement. Although the parties sat down for talks, the message from Denmark and Greenland was clear: The island cannot be bought.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated after the meeting that there are "fundamental disagreements" with the US administration regarding the future of Greenland.
President Donald Trump has openly expressed US interest in purchasing Greenland, considering it a matter of American national security.
However, for Denmark and the people of Greenland, this idea is completely unacceptable.
Denmark stressed that any idea that does not respect their territorial integrity is unacceptable.
"Any idea that does not respect the borders of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of the people of Greenland to decide for themselves is completely unacceptable. Therefore, we still have fundamental disagreements, but we have agreed to disagree. The discussions focused on the long-term security of Greenland, and here I must say that our views differ. The President made his position clear, while we have a different position. We, the Kingdom of Denmark, continue to believe that the security of Greenland can be guaranteed also in the future within the rules and agreements that we have today," he said.
Greenland's Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, said that they are open to strengthening cooperation with the US, but that does not mean that the island should be owned by them.
The US seeks control over the island due to its strategic position, but Denmark believes security can be guaranteed within the current framework.
Although there was no agreement, the parties have agreed to create a high-level working group that will meet within a few weeks.
For now, Denmark and Greenland have set clear "red lines": military cooperation yes, but sales of territory no.