Danish Prime Minister to Discuss Greenland with US Senator Marco Rubio Again

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen at the Munich Security Conference on Friday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the conference and lasted 15 minutes. During the discussion, it was emphasized that talks would be pursued regarding the running of Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.

In a social media post, Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated that the conversation with Rubio highlighted the importance of pursuing these discussions and reaffirmed the interests of Greenland. Prime Minister Frederiksen also commented on the meeting, stating that constructive talk took place between herself, Rubio, and Nielsen.

The meeting comes amid strained relations between Europe and the US, as well as among NATO allies. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in taking control of Greenland, citing national security concerns related to Russia and China. However, he recently stepped back from his threats after reaching an understanding with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

A new opinion poll conducted by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that approximately seven in 10 US adults disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the Greenland issue. This disapproval rating is higher than the share of those who dislike his handling of foreign policy generally, even among Republican supporters.

In response to the tensions surrounding Greenland, Sweden has announced plans to send fighter jets to patrol the territory as part of a newly launched NATO mission in the Arctic. The Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets will be based out of Iceland and will participate in training exercises with special forces in Greenland.

Source: Al Jazeera