Denmark 'open to dialogue' with US on Arctic
Denmark is open to talks with the United States to safeguard US interests in the Arctic, after US President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out military action to take Greenland, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said at a press briefing yesterday.
Trump, who takes office on January 20th, set off new alarm on Tuesday when he refused to rule out military intervention over the Panama Canal and Greenland, both of which he has said he wants the United States to control.
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Rasmussen told reporters that the Danish Realm -- which includes Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands -- is "open to a dialogue with the Americans on how we can cooperate, possibly even more closely than we already do, to ensure that American ambitions are fulfilled."
He also noted that the United States and NATO had "legitimate" interests in the region because of international events.
The top diplomat, who was Denmark’s prime minister during Trump’s early years in office from 2017-2019, urged calm amid the new frenzy.
"I try to deal with the realities, and I think we should all do ourselves a favour by getting our heart rate down a bit," he said.
Party leaders to meet over Greenland situation
While Rasmussen and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have both sought to play down the Greenland situation through public comments, the government does not appear to be taking it lightly.
The leaders of all parliamentary parties – government and opposition – have been summoned to a meeting on Thursday at the Prime Minister’s Office, according to Danish media reports.
The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed the meeting to news wire Ritzau, while broadcaster TV2 and other media outlets reported the planned meeting late yesterday. The meeting is set to begin at 7:30pm, according to TV2.
Some opposition parties have been critical of Frederiksen’s response to Trump’s comments, while others have aimed their criticism towards Trump and his approach. The leader of the national conservative Danish People’s Party (DF), Morten Messerschmidt, called the concept of Greenlandic independence a “mirage”. DF is arguably the Danish party most ideologically aligned to Trump.
Risk of icy roads this morning
Icy road conditions are prevalent across large parts of the country this morning.
“The combination of water on the road and temperatures around freezing point means roads can ice over relatively quickly,” meteorologist Trine Pedersen at the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) told Ritzau.
The risk is highest in most of Jutland, where temperatures are below freezing. Drivers in Funen and Zealand should also be prepared for potential icy patches, however.
“Bornholm is probably the only place not in the risk zone,” Pedersen said.
The risk should be lowered by late morning as road surfaces warm up.
Doctors call for near-doubling of cigarette price
The Danish Medical Association (Lægeforeningen) wants the price of a pack of cigarettes raised to at least 120 kroner, with similar increases for nicotine pouches like snus and related products.
This proposal is part of a broader plan unveiled by the medical association on Thursday, featuring ten measures aimed at reducing tobacco and nicotine use, particularly among children and young people.
“Price plays a crucial role in deterring people from starting a harmful habit. Price hikes can also encourage existing users to quit,” the association’s chairperson Camilla Rathcke told Ritzau.
The price of a pack of cigarettes was increased from around 40 to 53 kroner in 2020 and again in 2022 to just over 60 kroner.
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