Trump serious about wanting to take over Greenland, says Danish prime minister – Europe live | Europe

Trump serious in wanting to take Greenland, says Danish PM

Denmark’s prime minister has said she believes Donald Trump is serious about wanting to take over Greenland, and that both Denmark and Greenland have clearly rejected his ambition.

On Monday, in an interview with public broadcaster DR, Mette Frederiksen said: “Unfortunately, I think the American president should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland.”

She added: “I have made it very clear where the Kingdom of Denmark stands, and Greenland has repeatedly said that it does not want to be part of the United States.

“If the United States attacks another Nato country, everything stops.”

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in April last year — Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, with Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in April last year Photograph: Mads Claus Rasmussen/AP

Key events

Closing summary

Jakub Krupa

… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!

Greenland has urged Donald Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” after the US president, fresh from his military operation in Venezuela, again threatened to take over the Arctic territory (9:33).
Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen said she believed president Donald Trump was serious about wanting to take over Greenland, as she warned that “if the United States attacks another Nato country, everything stops” (16:27, 17:12).
Leaders of the Nordics, France, the UK and the EU have expressed their solidarity with Denmark and Greenland (9:33, 10:40, 12:21, 12:33, 13:11).

In other news,

A Paris court has found 10 people guilty of online harassment of the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, by posting or reposting malicious comments on social media that claimed falsely that she was a man (11:10).
Eight men and two women, aged 41 to 60, including a school sports teacher, an art gallery owner and a publicist, were on Monday given sentences ranging from a compulsory course in understanding online harassment to an eight-month suspended prison sentence (11:18).
One man, a property developer, who was absent from the trial hearings, was given a six-month prison sentence (12:01).

Elsewhere,

The EU has suggested that “there is progress” in discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine ahead of tomorrow’s Paris meeting of the Coalition of the Willing (12:45).
Nato’s Mark Rutte, EU’s Ursula von der Leyen and Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner of the US are expected to take part in the talks (15:05, 15:38).

And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today.

If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.

I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.

Trump’s pressure on Denmark ‘unacceptable’, Danish PM says

In her DR interview, Denmark’s Frederiksen also called the pressure on Denmark and Greenland “unacceptable,” and noted the continuing support from European partners.

Icelandic singer Björk backs calls for Greenland’s independence

Icelandic singer songwriter Björk has backed Greenlanders in their pursuit of independence, saying “Icelanders are extremely relieved that they managed to break from the Danish in 1944.”

In a social media post, she specifically referenced the Guardian’s coverage of historical controversies and alleged violations of the Greenlandic population by Denmark, including “systemic discrimination” of thousands of girls and women fitted with IUDs without consent in an attempt to reduce the population of Greenland.

She didn’t specifically say anything about the US, but added:

“Colonialism has repeatedly given me horror chills up my back, and the chance that my fellow Greenlanders might go from one cruel coloniser to another is too brutal to even imagine.”

(Fans of her music will surely note it’s not the first time Björk urges people to declare independence.)

Trump serious in wanting to take Greenland, says Danish PM

Denmark’s prime minister has said she believes Donald Trump is serious about wanting to take over Greenland, and that both Denmark and Greenland have clearly rejected his ambition.

On Monday, in an interview with public broadcaster DR, Mette Frederiksen said: “Unfortunately, I think the American president should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland.”

She added: “I have made it very clear where the Kingdom of Denmark stands, and Greenland has repeatedly said that it does not want to be part of the United States.

“If the United States attacks another Nato country, everything stops.”

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, with Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen in April last year Photograph: Mads Claus Rasmussen/AP

Greenland tells Trump to give up ‘fantasies’ about annexing territory

Meanwhile, Greenland has urged Donald Trump to give up his “fantasies about annexation” after the US president, fresh from his military operation in Venezuela, again threatened to take over the Arctic territory.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen (C), the leader of the Demokraatit party and the next Prime Minister of Greenland speaks with journalists following the announcement of a coalition agreement to form the next government in Nuuk last year. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

In a bracingly direct statement, the Greenlandic prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, accused the US of “completely and utterly unacceptable” rhetoric, declaring: “Enough is enough.”

“Threats, pressure and talk of annexation have no place between friends,” said Nielsen in a social media post on Monday. “That is not how you speak to a people who have shown responsibility, stability and loyalty time and again. Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more innuendo. No more fantasies about annexation.”

Greenland, he said, was “open to dialogue” but it had to come through the appropriate channels and in line with international law, “not random and disrespectful posts on social media”.

He added: “Greenland is our home and our territory. And that is how it will remain.”

Witkoff, Kushner to represent US at Paris talks on Ukraine

And on Ukraine talks, we are just getting a line from the White House that US peace envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will represent the US at tomorrow’s meeting in Paris.

EU ministers to discuss Mercosur trade deal on Wednesday

Separately, EU agriculture ministers will on Wednesday discuss the European Union’s trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur at an extraordinary meeting in Brussels, the European Commission told AFP.

European diplomats said the talks could be a prelude to a vote by EU member states on Friday on the agreement that has faced strong pushback from European farmers and got delayed late last year.

Bloomberg News (£) reported earlier today that Italy was prepared to drop its opposition to the deal, paving the way for it to be adopted.

Nato’s Rutte, EU’s von der Leyen confirm attendance at Paris talks on Ukraine

We are getting more and more confirmations ahead of tomorrow’s summit of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, with Nato’s Mark Rutte the latest to send his RSVP.

The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will also attend, her spokesperson confirmed earlier.

Poland’s defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, revealed that there will also be a separate “important” preparatory meeting of the army chiefs this afternoon, discussing the key security guarantees for Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy replaces security service chief in top roles reshuffle

Over in Ukraine, the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday ousted the country’s security service chief in the latest change to Kyiv’s top intelligence positions, almost four years into the Russian invasion, AFP reported.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) shakes hands with former Ukraine’s head of the Security Service Vasyl Maliuk (R) during a meeting in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP/Getty Images

Zelenskyy and Vasyl Maliuk, a popular military leader who won praise for overseeing ambitious operations against Russian forces, said that Maliuk was stepping down as head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

Amid reports Maliuk was on the brink of being removed, several top military figures had rallied behind him with statements of support over the weekend, AFP noted.

Zelensky on Monday issued a decree appointing Yevgeny Khmara, who headed an SBU division, as temporarily in charge of the security service amid a search for a permanent replacement.

No issues to talk with Putin in Budapest, Hungary’s Orbán says as he kicks off election year

Meanwhile, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán told reporters it was currently not a good time for Russian president Vladimir Putin to visit Budapest, as there were no bilateral issues to discuss, Reuters reported.

A handout photo made available by the Hungarian PM’s General Department of Communication shows Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán holding a year-commencing international press conference in his office in Budapest, Hungary. Photograph: Akos Kaiser HANDOUT/EPA

US president Donald Trump had previously planned to hold talks with Putin in Budapest, but the meeting never took place.

Despite his close relations with Russia and fervent criticism of the EU, Orbán – who faces a tricky parliamentary election this year which could see him ousted from office after 16 years in power – insisted he considered Hungarian membership of the EU “important” and he saw the country’s future “in the EU, under Nato protection,” Reuters said.

The controversial Hungarian prime minister also offered his response to the US intervention in Venezuela, saying it should result in a more favourable situation on world energy markets.

UK’s Starmer backs Denmark, Greenland after Trump’s comments

Andrew Sparrow

UK prime minister Keir Starmer has offered his support to Denmark and Greenland, backing the Danish prime minister, Mette Frederiksen.

“Well, I stand with her, and she’s right about the future of Greenland.”

In a separate question, Starmer was asked if he agreed with calls from the Danes for the US president to stop proposing American annexation of the island.

He replied:

“Yes. Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark are to decide the future of Greenland, and only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.

Denmark is a close ally in Europe, it is a Nato ally, and it’s very important the future of Greenland is, as I say, for the Kingdom of Denmark, and for Greenland, and only for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.”

My colleague Andrew Sparrow has more on our live UK politics blog.

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