Trump’s ‘desire’ for Greenland still ‘very serious’ says Danish PM — Munich conference latest
Mette Frederiksen also warned that she believes Vladimir Putin is not interested in peace in Ukraine
Donald Trump’s “desire” for Greenland remains “exactly the same”, the Danish prime minister has told the Munich Security Conference.
Mette Frederiksen said she believes the US president remains “very serious” about acquiring the Danish territory and also said she believes Vladimir Putin is not interested in peace in Ukraine.
Earlier at the conference, Britain blamed the Kremlin for killing opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which it said was likely done using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin.
Two years on from the death of Mr Navalny, the UK and its allies have pinned the blame on the Russian state following analysis of material samples found on his body, saying it was likely conducted using a poison developed from a dart frog toxin.
The Kremlin has always denied causing Navalny’s death, but the UK and its allies said that "only the Russian state had the combined means, motive and disregard for international law" to carry out the attack on the Russian opposition leader.
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Mette Frederiksen: We've asked for NATO to be a permanent presence in and around Greenland
Prime minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen says Arctic circle countries have asked for NATO to be a permanent presence in and around Greenland.
It follows recent concerns that the United States might annex Greenland.
“We are very satisfied that NATO is now into working with security in the Arctic region in a more structured way,” she said. “We have, by the way, asked for this for several years. But as you know, there's been this idea about low tension.
“It sounds very nice on a paper, but it doesn't reflect reality and the world that we are living in, unfortunately. So what we have suggested NATO is to be permanent present in the Arctic region, also in and around Greenland.
“Now we have Arctic sentry as a framework. We have to put substance into it. The good thing about Arctic sentry is that it's a flexible way of working. So it can be changed. It can be moved. It can be on a high level. It can be on a lower level.”
Pictured: Zelensky meets with NATO chief Mark Rutte
Spotlight on Arctic Security to begin soon
We will be reporting live as Mette Frederikson, prime minister of Denmark, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, prime minister of Greenland, Anita Anand, foreign minister of Canada, and Boris Pistorius, defence minister of Germany speak about Arctic security following Donald Trump’s recent threat against Greenland.
Stay tuned.
Zelensky says US too often asks Ukraine, not Russia, for concessions
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky voiced hope on Saturday that US-brokered peace talks in Geneva next week would be substantive, but he said Ukraine was being asked "too often" to make concessions.
He also accused Moscow of seeking to delay decisions by changing its lead negotiator. Ukrainian, Russian and American delegations are due to meet in the Swiss lakeside city on Tuesday and Wednesday as US president Donald Trump seeks to push through a deal to end Europe's biggest war since 1945.
"We truly hope that the trilateral meetings next week will be serious, substantive, helpful for all us but honestly sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things," Zelensky said in a speech at the annual Munich Security Conference.
Von Der Leyen: 'Now is the time to raise the cost of Russia's war higher than ever'
Ursula Von Der Leyen, president of the European Commission, met with US senator Lindsey Graham, who has campaigned for more sanctions against Russia.
She said following the meeting: “Now is the time to raise the costs of Russia’s war higher than ever. To bring Putin to the negotiating table with genuine intent. Sanctions work. And they work best when coordinated.
"Europe’s 20th package of sanctions package will further tighten the pressure through measures on energy, financial services, and trade, and by cracking down on sanctions circumvention.
"We propose a full maritime services ban which can further isolate Russia and cut its fossil fuel revenue especially if coordinated closely with our G7 partners and the United States."
Watch: Zelenksy appeals to Trump for 'strong security guarantees' before Russia peace deal can be struck
Zelensky's says Russia's change of negotiator meant to postpone any decisions
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday he was surprised that Russia had decided to change the leadership of its negotiating team for peace talks in Geneva next week, a move he said was designed to postpone any decisions.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky said foreign troops would be needed in Ukraine after a peace deal was reached to deter any future aggressions from Russia.
He said the US had proposed a security guarantee lasting for 15 years after the war, but Ukraine wanted a deal for 20 years or longer.
Recap: British warships to patrol Arctic amid Trump Greenland threats
A group of British warships will patrol the Arctic, Sir Keir Starmer has said, following Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland after he cited concerns about its security.
The prime minister announced the British efforts to bolster security in the so-called High North at the Munich Security Conference, and said the US, Canada and other Nato allies would join the initiative.
Sir Keir also announced Britain will seek “deeper economic integration” with the European Union and to “move closer to the single market” in more sectors during his speech.
He insisted the EU-UK “status quo is not fit for purpose”, but he acknowledged there would be “trade-offs” as a result of the move.
German defence minister calls for predictable US partnership
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called for a predictable and reliable partnership between the United States and its European partners, which he said had to build up their hard defence capacity.
Responding to Marco Rubio's remarks earlier on Saturday, which criticised many aspects of what the international system had become, Pistorius agreed that institutions needed reform but said the answer could not be for a state to try to go it alone.
Downing Street: Starmer and von der Leyen 'agreed that Europe needs to step up'
A government spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister met the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Munich today.
“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue work that will bolster our collective defences in the face of growing threats to European security.
“They agreed that Europe needs to step up and work towards becoming a more European NATO, while protecting our strong transatlantic ties.
“The Prime Minister shared his high ambition for the future UK-EU partnership. He set out his desire for further integration across the economy, defence and technology - in the interests of greater security, stronger growth and higher living standards for the British people. There is no question where the national interest lies and I will always fight for what’s best for the United Kingdom, he added.
“They committed to take forward further work ahead of the next UK-EU summit. They also agreed to double down on the existing negotiations to agree a food and drink deal which could lower prices, an emissions trading scheme which could lower bills, and a youth experience scheme to give our young people more opportunities to work and travel abroad.”
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