(Global Times): Major General Soren Andersen, Commander of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command in Greenland, on January 16 dismissed claims by US President Donald Trump that Chinese and Russian ships are circling around Greenland, saying he has seen no such presence during his two and a half years in command.
Speaking to Reuters, Andersen stated, “We don’t see any Russian or Chinese vessels around Greenland. There are Chinese and Russian vessels in the Arctic Ocean, but not near Greenland.” His remarks directly contradict repeated assertions by Trump, who has accused Denmark of failing to adequately secure Greenland.
Trump has claimed that Russian and Chinese ships are “swarming” the waters around the Arctic island, a narrative that Greenlanders interviewed by the Associated Press have also rejected. Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has similarly denied reports of Russian and Chinese ships operating inside Greenlandic fjords, including near the capital, Nuuk, and described claims of large-scale Chinese investments in Greenland as inaccurate.
Despite these denials, Trump has continued to stress Greenland’s strategic importance to US security and has not ruled out the use of force to take control of the territory. As tensions rise, several European NATO countries have deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland to take part in joint exercises with Denmark.
Responding to Trump’s remarks that Greenland is “covered with Chinese ships,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on January 5 that the US should stop using the so-called “China threat” as a pretext to pursue its own interests.
