White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained at a press conference held today: "I do not believe that the presence of troops in Europe will influence the president's decision-making process, nor that it will affect his goal of acquiring Greenland at all." The spokesperson's comments come after Denmark, which the autonomous territory of Greenland depends on, announced yesterday an immediate increase in its military presence on the island, as well as exercises there, to address Washington's concerns about the security of the island and the Arctic region. Sweden, Norway, and Germany have joined the initiative and will also send troops to Greenland, coveted by the Trump government on the grounds of reinforcing its "national security" and preventing it from falling into the hands of China or Russia. Additionally, on Wednesday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio received at the White House Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt. The meeting resulted in the creation of a working group that the foreign ministers of Copenhagen and Nuuk believe will serve to address the "discrepancies" with Washington. However, Leavitt clarified the function of this working group with her statements today. The White House considered this Thursday that the deployment of troops to Greenland, to which several European NATO partners have committed, does not "at all" affect the goal of U.S. President Donald Trump to gain control of the island. "It was a good meeting, and in it, both parties agreed to establish a working group composed of people who will continue to hold technical talks about the acquisition of Greenland," she pointed out. The spokesperson indicated that it is known to her that the talks among the three parties will take place "every two or three weeks," and she insisted that Trump "has made his priority very clear: he wants the United States to acquire Greenland."
