Rutte alleges that when a dispute occurs between two members of the Atlantic Alliance such as the US and Denmark, his role is not to talk about it in public but work discreetly “behind the scenes” to try to find a negotiated solution.
The response that the Atlantic Alliance is working on in this case is to deploy a mission to strengthen security in the Arctic against the incursions of ships from Russia and China. An initiative sponsored by the United Kingdom and Germany, which has the support of Denmark and Greenland, but which would need Trump’s support.
The Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, insisted this Tuesday that his territory is not for sale and has assured that he prefers to remain under the sovereignty of Denmark before becoming part of the United States.
“We are facing a geopolitical crisis and, if here and now we have to choose between the United States and Denmark, we choose Denmark,” Nielsen said in a joint press conference with the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.
The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland have traveled to Washington and plan to meet this Wednesday with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubioto try to find a way out of the dispute.
“When there are discussions between allies, my role is to make sure we solve the problems, and when it comes to the arctic protectionthat’s my role. I can never comment on that in public, it’s impossible“, indicated the Secretary General of NATO.
“What I am doing, together with the United States, Canada and all our allies in Europe, is ensuring that we do not focus solely on Greenland. This is an issue that affects the Arctic,” says Rutte.
“Let’s not be naïve: even if not many ships are sailing now, we know that new sea routes are opening up in the Arctic. And this is not just true for Greenland; it applies to the entire Arctic region. It is not just Russia that is active there; increasingly China is also present“he insisted.
Is it imaginable that a NATO ally like the US could militarily attack another member country like Denmark? Rutte insists that this is not the first time that there have been internal disputes in the Alliance and recalls the clashes between Greece and Türkiye.
“My role as Secretary General is very clear: I never, ever comment on these types of issues. When there are discussions within the Alliance – there have been between Greece and Turkey, and between other allies – you will see that both my predecessors and I act in the same way: work behind the scenes“, has settled
Yes indeed, Rutte not only avoids confrontation with the US president at all costs but also praises his behavior. According to the head of NATO, “it was Donald Trump, who – when he was the 45th president of the United States, during his previous term between 2016 and 2020 – made us collectively aware of the need to protect the High North in the Arctic.”