Kalinak: Talks between Denmark and US Key for Greenland Issue

Bratislava 9 January (TASR) - It's important to monitor the development of talks between Denmark and the United States with respect to the situation involving the United States and Greenland, as the outcome of these negotiations will be crucial, claimed Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) on Friday. Kalinak said this in response to a journalist's question after the government session. The minister underlined that this is a sensitive issue. He views the United States as a NATO partner that fully understands the individual rules of international law. "I can see that Denmark has its agreements with the United States, that there is an American military base there, and that this will take place via a greater military presence of an ally with an ally. I don't think it will be done through some kind of invasion of Greenland by the United States; I seriously doubt that," he said. Following the intervention in Venezuela, US President Donald Trump again stated that the United States needs Greenland for reasons of national security. His adviser Stephen Miller told CNN on Tuesday that the official position of the US government is that Greenland should be part of the United States. The White House claims that Trump and his team are discussing options for acquiring Greenland and that the use of the US military to achieve this goal is "always" one of the options. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to meet representatives of Denmark next week. Rubio has stated that the United States is interested in buying Greenland, not subjugating it by military force. Envoys of Denmark and Greenland met Trump's advisers as early as on Thursday (8 January). mf/df