The Danish government has privately approached the Trump team after the designated US President Donald Trump stated that the US might need to use military means to gain control of Greenland, according to a report by Axios on the weekend, citing two sources.
According to the report, Copenhagen has made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, but the Danish government is willing to discuss other US demands, such as increasing the American military presence on the Arctic island.
The sources told Axios that the Danish government wants to avoid an open conflict with the new US administration and has asked members of the Trump team to clarify what the designated president meant by his statements on Greenland.
The US has had a military presence on the island since the Second World War, and a defense agreement between the US and Denmark, dating back to 1951, allows for the further deployment of US troops to Greenland.
Additionally, the US has operated a space base in the northwest of the island since 1951, from which it monitors rocket launches in the region.
In January 1968, a B-52 bomber crashed near the base, with four non-armed hydrogen bombs on board. Three of the bombs were later recovered, but the whereabouts of the fourth bomb have been the subject of conflicting reports over the years.