Fresh call from U.S. president to annex the island pushes European leaders to unite behind Denmark.
Victor Jack, Chris Lunday, Megan Messerly, Ferdinand Knapp
“When it comes to Denmark and Greenland itself we have a good process in place,” Rutte said ahead of the three-hour leaders’ meeting on Wednesday.
“Allies can solve the problems inside NATO,” said Polish President Karol Nawrocki. “I’m sure that we will solve the problems around the many international issues.”
“If you are asking, is NATO working, and if I am confident that NATO is working, I am absolutely confident,” said Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal.
Yet European optimism over the summit soured after Trump’s arrival and his comments on Greenland, with leaders sending a clear signal for Trump to back off.
“That type of statement, that type of claim, Norway distances itself from,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said. “We support Denmark, and we support stability in the Nordics.”
“The lines in the sand are clear: Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland,” Icelandic Kristrún Frostadóttir told reporters.
In a sign of Europe’s hardening on the issue, that warning came even from one of Washington’s staunchest allies in NATO. “Greenland is an indispensable part of Denmark,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said.
Laura Kayali and Jack Detsch contributed reporting.
