Denmark and Greenland disagreed with the U.S. vice chairman’s claims that they allowed Chinese language and Russian infiltration.
Management in Denmark and Greenland are pushing again in opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to take over Greenland following a controversial go to to the territory by Vice President JD Vance.
“At a time once we as a individuals are underneath stress, we should stand collectively,” Nielsen stated throughout a press convention in Nuuk on March 28.
The feedback got here simply hours after Vance led a delegation to a U.S. Area Pressure base in Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. He accused Danish management of underinvesting in protection, which he stated had allowed Chinese language and Russian infiltration into the Americas.
“Our message to Denmark may be very easy: You haven’t finished an excellent job by the folks of Greenland,” Vance stated on the Pituffik Area Pressure Base on Friday.
“Denmark has not stored tempo and devoted the assets essential to maintain this base, to maintain our troops, and for my part, to maintain the folks of Greenland protected from loads of very aggressive incursions from Russia, from China, and different nations.”
Vance has repeatedly stated that the Chinese language and Russian militaries are utilizing Greenland’s waterways, with out offering particulars concerning the alleged incidents.
America has considerably scaled again its personal Arctic protection spending over the a long time, together with in Greenland.
To that finish, Denmark’s Overseas Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen stated that america had maintained 17 bases and greater than 10,000 service members throughout the territory through the Chilly Struggle, however now solely maintained the one base with about 200 personnel.
Denmark, in the meantime, is at present engaged in a $2 billion push to modernize its capabilities within the area. Rasmussen additionally famous a want to spend extra.
“[Vance] has a degree that we haven’t finished sufficient, however I’m a bit of provoked as a result of it’s additionally the Individuals who haven’t finished sufficient,” Rasmussen stated.
Equally, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that the Trump administration’s characterization was not a good one and went in opposition to the spirit of the shut alliance the 2 powers have shared for greater than 80 years.
Likewise, Vance’s go to led to a number of the largest public demonstrations in Greenland’s historical past, with protesters carrying hats or waving banners with slogans together with “Make America Go Away” and “Yankees Go House.”
Reuters contributed to this report.