Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen believes US President Donald Trump still wants to own Greenland, despite recent diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.

MUNICH: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Saturday she believes US President Donald Trump still desires to own Greenland. She made the remarks during a panel discussion on Arctic security at the Munich Security Conference.

When asked if Trump still wanted to own the Arctic island, Frederiksen replied, “Unfortunately, I think the desire is the same.” She added that Denmark does not believe the issue is over, stating, “Everybody asks us, do we think it’s over? I mean, no, we don’t think it’s over.”

Trump’s long-standing interest in purchasing Greenland has caused significant tension between the United States and its European allies. Last month, he stepped back from threats to seize the autonomous Danish territory after announcing a “framework” deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The US president insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China. He argues its strategic importance is growing as a melting Arctic opens up new avenues for superpower competition.

Frederiksen and Greenlandic Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen have called the pressure on the island’s people “unacceptable”. Nielsen noted, however, that “some steps” had been taken “in the right direction”.

A trilateral US-Denmark-Greenland working group has been established to discuss Washington’s security concerns. Details of the group’s discussions have not been made public.

“We now have a working group, it’s good,” Frederiksen said. “We will try to see if we can find a solution… But of course, there are red lines that will not be crossed. And we will stick to our strategy.”

The Danish leader’s comments followed a 15-minute meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday. Frederiksen described the sideline meeting at the security conference as “constructive”.

 The Sun Malaysia