Greenland–US talks constructive but no breakthrough

Moscow (ANTARA) – Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said his meeting with US special envoy Jeff Landry was constructive, but did not open broad opportunities for wider cooperation with Washington. Danish TV2 on Monday reported that Nielsen described the meeting with Landry and the US Ambassador to Denmark Kenneth Howery as taking place in a ‘good atmosphere’. However, when asked whether the talks opened prospects for broader cooperation with the US, Nielsen replied briefly, ‘No.’ According to the report, the two sides discussed a desire to build relations based on mutual respect. ‘Everything that has been stated since the outset has been reaffirmed,’ Nielsen said. Meanwhile, Greenland’s Foreign Minister Múte Egede stated that the fundamental position of Greenland’s relations with Washington remains unchanged. Last week, the US Embassy in Copenhagen said Landry and Howery would meet Greenlanders to identify economic opportunities for the United States on the island. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. US President Donald Trump previously said Greenland should join the United States due to its strategic significance for US national security. The Danish and Greenlandic governments rejected the idea and stressed that their territorial integrity must be respected.