Defense minister: Trump's interest in Greenland 'will not go further'
Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threats to buy Greenland "will not go further" due to the historic success of NATO.
Trump said the U.S. needs Greenland "for national security purposes" earlier this week and did not rule out using military force, the Associated Press reported.
Greenland, home to a large U.S. military base, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally and a founding member of NATO. Trump cast doubts on the legitimacy of Denmark's claim to Greenland.
Pevkur told German broadcaster DW Europe on Friday that he did not believe Trump's acquisition of Greenland would go any further. He described Trump's actions as "poking" an ally.
He said this is not the time for allies to be divided and there is no need for new "tensions."
"It's the time to be more united, it's the time to come together. First to help win the war for Ukraine, or vice versa, it doesn't matter, and secondly to build a stronger alliance. To keep ourselves safe," the minister said at the 25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held in Ramstein, Germany.
Estonia's defense minister tells DW he doesn't think the questions over Greenland's sovereignty will go any further.
— DW Europe (@dw_europe) January 10, 2025
We asked Hanno Pevkur about President-elect Donald Trump's suggestion the US might try to take control of Denmark's autonomous territory for "economic security." pic.twitter.com/B8EbpxtAdv
He said NATO is the strongest alliance in military history.
"And now when we see that one ally is poking the other one, why do that? So this is why I truly believe that, you know, this will not go any further and it will be stopped right here and right now," Pevkur said.
If the USA needs more economic security, the minister said he expects every ally to provide support: "So there is no need for such poking messages, let's say."
Friday's meeting was the last led by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who will leave the post when Trump is inaugurated on January 20
Pevkur praised the U.S.' leadership.
"The United States' contribution to aiding Ukraine has been of existential significance — we may never know how many lives it has saved. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group has become much more than just a gathering of defense ministers. It brings together over 50 nations and has given rise to several international efforts to support Ukraine. Therefore, it is crucial for the Contact Group to continue its meetings even with the inauguration of a new U.S. administration," he said in a statement.
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Editor: Helen Wright
