Greenland crisis US threat

Iceland furious after comment about 52nd state

American politician Billy Long – whom Donald Trump wants to appoint as the next US ambassador to Iceland – is said to have joked during the night that the US should take over Iceland after Greenland, make the country the 52nd US state and let him become governor. This is reported by Politico.

The joke has caused Reykjavik to react and the country's Foreign Ministry has contacted the US embassy to "verify the veracity of the alleged statements". In addition, 2,000 signatures have been collected urging Foreign Minister Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to deny Billy Long the post.

"The words from Billy Long, whom Donald Trump has nominated as ambassador to Iceland, may have been said half-heartedly, but they are insulting to Iceland and the Icelanders, who have had to fight for their freedom and who have always been a friend of the US," the petition reads.

Donald Trump's thoughts about taking over Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal were launched as jokes, but have since become important foreign policy issues.

First French soldiers have arrived in Greenland

A first group of French soldiers has arrived in Greenland, according to President Emmanuel Macron. This is reported by Reuters.

According to Le Monde, these are ground units that are specially trained for operations in mountainous, cold and difficult terrain.

In the coming days, France's military presence will be strengthened with additional resources on land, at sea and in the air. Macron made the announcement after a security meeting in Paris where Donald Trump's ambitions to take over Greenland were on the agenda.

Germany is also sending military personnel to Greenland on Thursday. According to the German Ministry of Defense, the aim is to prevent Russia and China from jeopardizing security in the Arctic. 

Løkke on Fox News: “You can’t buy people”

Greenlanders would say no if the US tries to lure them with money. That’s what Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said when he was interviewed by Fox News host Bret Baier last night.

He emphasized Denmark’s long-standing good relationship with the US but said there are “red lines.”

– This is 2026. You can bargain with people, but you can’t buy people, said Løkke.

Even if every Greenlander were offered $500,000 in exchange for the island becoming part of the US, the answer would be no, according to Løkke. He said that a lump sum cannot replace the Scandinavian welfare system that Greenland has through Denmark.

The meeting did not result in any agreement, but neither in any dramatic scenes or outbursts, as many had feared.

Denmark after US meeting: “Our views diverge”

Denmark and Greenland failed to change the White House’s stance on the island, says Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen at a press conference.

He says the meeting was straightforward, open and productive, and that Denmark, among other things, tried to assure Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the country takes security in Greenland and the Arctic very seriously.

– Our views diverge, says Løkke Rasmussen.

He goes on to say that they “agreed to disagree” and that they have formed a working group to sort out the “fundamental differences”.

Trump has said, among other things, that Denmark protects the island with dog sleds. Løkke Rasmussen says that they use ships, drones and warships in their defense.

– It is absolutely not necessary for the US to buy Greenland, he adds.

Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt takes the stage and says that they would like to have deeper cooperation with the United States, but that they do not want to be "owned" by them.