Military personnel from France and Germany headed to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark and its allies prepared for exercises to try to assure US President Donald Trump over its security as he pushes to acquire the island. A meeting of officials from the United States, Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday avoided the public humiliation meted out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last year, but also produced no quick fix for the dispute.
Trump has said the strategically located and mineral-rich island is vital to US security, and the United States must own it to prevent Russia or China from occupying it. He has said all options are on the table for securing the territory, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. He says Denmark is not capable of warding off Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic region.