Greenland’s Minister of Economy Naaja Nathanielsen has refuted President Donald Trump’s claim that a concrete framework agreement giving the United States new rights in Greenland exists. “There is no framework agreement” she said to the FAZ, adding that the dialogue must first begin. At present, she reports hearing nothing specific about the topics the U.S. wants to discuss. Nathanielsen expects talks to take place at the NATO level concerning an increased military presence in the far north, as well as a trilateral dialogue involving Greenland, the U.S. government and Denmark to update the 1951 agreement on military presence, addressing defense, national security and related matters.
She also spoke about media reports concerning minerals, noting that the U.S. administration has offered no concrete information. The minister, who also oversees Greenland’s natural resources, mentioned that Trump had told Fox Business News, “We get everything we want – absolute security, unrestricted access to everything”. According to Nathanielsen, there is only a statement of intent so far; over the past year there was no heightened U.S. business interest in resource extraction in Greenland.
Nevertheless, she emphasized that Greenland is eager to develop investment relations with the United States, provided they follow proper protocols. They must use the appropriate channels, comply with Greenland’s rules and regulations, and respect international law. If those conditions are met, the country welcomes them.
