United News of Bangladesh

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday said the Trump administration’s new national security strategy highlights the need for Europe to become “much more independent” from the United States in security matters. Merz, who leads the European Union’s largest economy, also rejected suggestions that European democracy needs saving from external influence. The U.S. strategy, published Friday, portrays European allies as weak, shows tacit support for far-right parties, and criticizes European free speech and migration policies. European Council President António Costa on Monday warned the U.S. against interference, emphasizing that only Europeans should decide their governments. Merz said he was not surprised by the strategy, noting it reflected the lecture U.S. Vice President JD Vance gave in Munich in February. “Some of it is understandable, but some of it is unacceptable from a European point of view,” he said in Mainz. “That the Americans want to save democracy in Europe now, I don’t see any need for that,” Merz added. “If it needed to be saved, we would manage that alone.” The chancellor said the strategy confirms Europe, and Germany in particular, must increase security independence from the U.S. “This is not a surprise, but it has now been confirmed again. It has been documented,” he said. Merz noted that Vance’s speech earlier this year influenced Germany’s increased defense spending. Since taking office in May, his government has relaxed debt rules to allow higher military investment, building on efforts that began after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Under pressure from Trump, NATO members, including Germany, agreed in June to a significant rise in defense spending targets. Merz stressed the importance of partnerships, saying, “America first is fine, but America alone can’t be in your interest. You need partners in the world too. And one of the partners can be Europe. And if you can’t do anything with Europe, then at least make Germany your partner.”  

Hundreds of Nicaraguans gathered in Miami to celebrate the Dec. 8 feast of the Immaculate Conception, singing praises to the Virgin Mary at altars set up in church parking lots and on the streets, despite fears for their safety in both Nicaragua and the United States. The celebration, known as “gritería,” is especially meaningful this year as religious practices in Nicaragua face government crackdowns and immigrant communities in the U.S. encounter heightened enforcement. “We’re going to do it no matter what,” said Neri Flores, who traveled from Chicago to set up an altar with his parents. “It’s tradition, family, giving back to the community, keeping up the faith and positive vibes.” Families displayed paintings and statues of the Virgin Mary, some carried from Nicaragua decades ago. Michael Garcia, born in Miami, said, “All the blessings that we have are thanks to her. For the Virgin, there is no impossible.” In Nicaragua, the government has intensified repression against the Catholic Church, accusing clergy of supporting unrest following protests in 2018. Many priests and laypeople have been imprisoned or exiled, and public religious celebrations face restrictions. In the U.S., fears among Nicaraguan migrants have grown as the Trump administration moved to end temporary protections for nearly 430,000 migrants from Nicaragua and other countries. At Miami’s St. John Bosco Catholic Parish, over a thousand people attended, singing and praying by elaborately decorated altars. Rev. Yader Centeno, the pastor, said the event was a moment to strengthen faith and send a message of freedom to those still in Nicaragua. Some altars featured balloon arches, lights, and sound systems, while others were simple displays in car trunks. Participants sang traditional hymns and offered food, toys, and religious items to support the community. “I’m super happy. To have this tradition outside of my country is something grand,” said Scarlet Desbas, setting up her family’s altar. Many participants undertook the elaborate preparations as a promise to the Virgin, seeking protection for themselves and loved ones. At St. Agatha Catholic Parish, Rev. Silvio Báez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, urged the congregation to speak against oppression and faith-based persecution. “The Virgin is not going to forget our people and one day, Nicaragua will be free,” he said. Rev. Marcos Somarriba, pastor at St. Agatha’s, noted the dire situation for the faithful in Nicaragua, calling on U.S. authorities to ensure immigration policies protect Nicaraguans who fled persecution. Oscar Carballo, attending the altars at St. John Bosco’s, said, “Here you feel like in the patio of your home. The only thing I ask her is that we can stay here, and that there might be peace. Everywhere.”  

A new study by UN Women has found that more than two-thirds of women journalists, human rights defenders, and activists have experienced online violence, with over 40% reporting related attacks in the real world. The report, titled Tipping Point, highlights a growing surge in violence against women linked to the rise of social media and artificial intelligence. It surveyed more than 6,900 women across 119 countries, revealing how online abuse often spills into physical harassment. “Online violence against women has become a growing global crisis,” UN Women said. “What begins on a screen can quickly fuel harassment, intimidation, and even real-world harm.” About 41% of respondents said they faced offline attacks or harassment connected to digital abuse, including physical or sexual assault, stalking, verbal harassment, and swatting — a tactic that triggers false emergency responses. Women journalists, social media influencers, and content creators focusing on human rights were most affected. The study notes that new technologies, such as deepfake images and manipulated content, are increasingly used to target them. Lead researcher Julie Posetti said incidents of real-world harm linked to online attacks on women journalists have more than doubled over the past five years, with 42% of respondents identifying a “dangerous and potentially deadly trajectory.” The report urges governments to strengthen laws, improve monitoring of technology-related violence, hold tech companies accountable, and encourage broader public support for victims. “Women who speak up for human rights, report the news or lead social movements are being targeted with abuse designed to shame, silence and push them out of public debate,” said UN Women policy director Sarah Hendricks. “Increasingly, those attacks do not stop at the screen – they end at women’s front doors.”  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his refusal to cede any territory to Russia, resisting U.S. pressure for a compromise while rallying European support for Kyiv. In a WhatsApp exchange with reporters late Monday, Zelenskyy said Moscow demanded territorial concessions, but Ukraine had no intention or legal or moral authority to give up land.“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for," he said.“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and we don’t have a moral right either.” U.S. President Donald Trump, in a Politico interview, renewed calls for Kyiv to accept a U.S. peace plan that includes ceding territory, arguing Russia still holds the “upper hand” and Ukraine must “play ball.” Zelenskyy met Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo. The pope called for sustained dialogue and urged that current diplomatic initiatives lead to a “just and lasting peace.” Later, Zelenskyy was scheduled to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The visit follows Monday talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s position amid Trump’s pressure. U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators concluded three days of talks on Saturday to narrow differences over the peace plan, with the most contentious issue being Kyiv ceding control of the Donbas region, mostly occupied by Russia. Trump claimed other Ukrainian officials supported the U.S. plan, saying, “They really liked it, but they said he hasn’t read it yet.” He also urged Ukraine to hold national elections despite martial law extending Zelenskyy’s term. Zelenskyy said Monday that Trump “certainly wants to end the war” but Ukrainians understand the conflict’s realities more deeply. He noted the latest U.S. peace plan has 20 points, down from 28 after removing “obvious anti-Ukrainian points.” European leaders strongly backed Kyiv. Starmer called the peace push a “critical stage,” stressing the need for a “just and lasting ceasefire.” Merz expressed skepticism over some U.S. documents, highlighting the need for further talks. European governments aim to back any ceasefire with strong security guarantees, something Trump has not publicly committed to. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 110 drones overnight, downing 84. Twenty-four struck targets, causing emergency blackouts in several regions. Ukraine also conducted drone attacks in Russia. Moscow said its air defenses destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and Crimea. In Chuvashia, nine people were injured and buildings damaged. A Ukrainian Security Service strike on Dec. 5 hit an LPG terminal in Temryuk, Krasnodar region. Over 20 storage tanks burned for more than three days, and rail cars and refueling facilities were damaged, an official told AP on condition of anonymity.  

Japan assessed damage and warned of potential aftershocks Tuesday following a late-night 7.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Aomori, northern Honshu. At least 33 people were injured, one seriously, mostly from falling objects, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported. The quake struck around 11:15 p.m., about 80 kilometers offshore, at a depth of 44 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A tsunami measuring up to 70 centimeters hit Kuji port in Iwate prefecture, with smaller waves along the northern Pacific coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami advisories by 6:30 a.m. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced an emergency task force to assess damage, saying the government would prioritize citizens’ safety. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reported around 800 homes lost power temporarily, and Shinkansen bullet trains along with local lines were suspended but are expected to resume later Tuesday. About 480 people sheltered at Hachinohe Air Base, and 18 defense helicopters were deployed for damage checks. At New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, 200 passengers were stranded overnight due to ceiling damage in part of the domestic terminal. The Nuclear Regulation Authority reported a minor spill at the Rokkasho fuel reprocessing plant but confirmed safety levels remained normal. The Japan Meteorological Agency cautioned residents in 182 municipalities along the northeastern coast—from Chiba to Hokkaido—to remain vigilant for aftershocks and possible tsunamis. Officials noted a slight increase in the risk of a magnitude 8-level quake in the coming days. The region lies near the area devastated by the 2011 magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Smaller aftershocks continued Tuesday, including magnitude 6.6 and 5.1 tremors, highlighting the ongoing seismic risk.

A bomb blast in eastern Congo killed more than 30 people and injured about 20 others after a confrontation between the Congolese army and a pro-government militia, despite a recently signed Washington peace deal that was hailed as a breakthrough. Residents and civil society representatives told The Associated Press that the FARDC, Congo’s armed forces, and Wazalendo — a militia that has been fighting alongside the army — exchanged fire before the explosion shook the town of Sange in South Kivu on Sunday evening. Eastern Congo remains destabilized by more than 100 armed groups competing for control in the mineral-rich region near Rwanda’s border, with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels being the most prominent. The conflict has produced one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, displacing more than 7 million people. The blast occurred days after the U.S. finalized a peace agreement aimed at halting the conflict between the Congolese military and M23. But residents, civil society leaders and analysts say clashes continue unabated. Faraja Mahano Robert, a community leader in Sange, said FARDC soldiers returning from the front line tried to move toward Uvira but were ordered to stop. When some refused, fighting broke out between the forces, followed by the deadly explosion. Many locals fled toward Burundi for safety. Residents said the situation remained tense Monday. Amani Safari reported ongoing departures from Sange and new clashes between Wazalendo and FARDC early that morning. Another resident, David Kaserore, said civilians feel trapped and unable to distinguish between the army and armed groups, calling on the government to end the violence. The military did not immediately comment. Meanwhile, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda in a parliamentary speech of violating the peace deal, looting Congo’s natural resources, and undermining its institutions. Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week to sign the agreement, which the White House praised as historic. Tshisekedi claimed that Rwandan forces carried out heavy weapons attacks from the Rwandan town of Bugarama the day after the signing, calling it “proxy aggression” and rejecting suggestions of internal rebellion. Burundi’s foreign minister, Edouard Bizimana, also accused Rwanda of duplicity, saying it signs agreements while escalating drone attacks on civilians. Burundi, which fights alongside the Congolese military against M23, warned Rwanda that repeat attacks could prompt legal action. Rwandan officials did not immediately respond. Despite the peace deal, residents reported intensified fighting in South Kivu last week. Both M23 and the Congolese army have repeatedly accused one another of breaching earlier ceasefire terms. Earlier this year, M23 captured Goma and Bukavu, two major cities in eastern Congo. U.N. experts estimate the group is backed by roughly 4,000 Rwandan troops, and at times the rebels have threatened to advance all the way to the capital, Kinshasa, nearly 1,600 kilometers away.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British, French and German leaders in London on Monday, as Europe rallied behind Ukraine at what they described as a pivotal stage in U.S.-led peace efforts to end Russia’s invasion. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 10 Downing Street to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position amid growing impatience from U.S. President Donald Trump. Afterward, the leaders contacted other European partners, calling for sustained pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. Starmer’s office said they agreed this was a “critical moment” requiring increased support for Ukraine and tougher economic measures against Russia. Starmer’s spokesman, Tom Wells, said progress was being made but that “outstanding issues” remain. Macron’s office noted the meeting helped coordinate European additions to the U.S. proposal. Speaking to reporters later, Zelenskyy said the latest U.S. peace plan had been reduced from 28 to 20 points after removing what he described as “obviously anti-Ukrainian” elements. He emphasized that Ukraine still needs clarity on security guarantees, especially regarding the risk of renewed Russian aggression after the war. Trump, in comments Sunday night, expressed frustration that Zelenskyy “hasn’t read the proposal,” while Zelenskyy insisted Trump wants the war to end but does not see the conflict the way Ukrainians do. Before the meeting, Starmer, Macron and Merz emphasized support for Ukraine. Starmer called the peace effort “critical” and urged a “just and lasting ceasefire.” Merz said he was wary of aspects of the U.S. documents and that the coming days could be decisive. European leaders want any ceasefire backed by firm U.S. and European security guarantees, though Trump has not publicly committed to any. Zelenskyy said his meetings in London and Brussels would focus on defense support and long-term funding, stressing that Ukraine depends on both Europe and the United States. Starmer’s office added that national security advisers will keep negotiating in the coming days. Challenges in the peace plan U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators concluded three days of talks Saturday to close gaps in the U.S. proposal. Zelenskyy said discussions were “substantive” and that senior Ukrainian officials were returning to brief him. A major dispute concerns a U.S. suggestion that Kyiv give up control of the Donbas region, most of which Russia occupies. Ukraine and its European partners reject ceding territory. Starmer said he would not pressure Zelenskyy to agree. Trump, who has urged Ukraine to surrender land to end the war and has criticized the cost of U.S. aid, continues to take a fluctuating stance toward Kyiv. U.S. national security strategy released The London talks came shortly after the U.S. unveiled a new national security strategy that unsettled European governments but drew praise from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document aligned with Russia’s views and welcomed its call for improved relations and reduced tensions. The U.S. strategy said Washington aims to stabilize its relationship with Russia and sees ending the war as key to that goal. It also argued NATO should not expand indefinitely and criticized European allies’ migration and free-speech policies. The U.K. government declined to comment on the U.S. document. Continued attacks on Ukraine Despite diplomatic efforts, Russian drone strikes continued. In Okhtyrka, drones hit an apartment block, injuring seven people. In Chernihiv, another drone blast wounded three people and damaged residential buildings and infrastructure. Ukraine said Russia launched 149 drones overnight, of which 131 were intercepted. Russia reported downing 67 Ukrainian drones over 11 regions.

A year ago, Mohammad Marwan found himself stumbling, barefoot and dazed, out of Syria’s notorious Saydnaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus as rebel forces pushing toward the capital threw open its doors to release the prisoners. Arrested in 2018 for fleeing compulsory military service, the father of three had cycled through four other lockups before landing in Saydnaya, a sprawling complex just north of Damascus that became synonymous with some of the worst atrocities committed under the rule of now-ousted President Bashar Assad. He recalled guards waiting to welcome new prisoners with a gauntlet of beatings and electric shocks. “They said, ‘You have no rights here, and we’re not calling an ambulance unless we have a dead body,’” Marwan said. His Dec. 8, 2024, homecoming to a house full of relatives and friends in his village in Homs province was joyful. But in the year since then, he has struggled to overcome the physical and psychological effects of his six-year imprisonment. He suffered from chest pain and difficulty breathing that turned out to be the result of tuberculosis. He was beset by crippling anxiety and difficulty sleeping. He’s now undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and attending therapy sessions at a center in Homs focused on rehabilitating former prisoners, and Marwan said his physical and mental situations have gradually improved. “We were in something like a state of death” in Saydnaya, he said. “Now we’ve come back to life.” A country struggling to heal On Monday, thousands of Syrians took to the streets to celebrate the anniversary of Assad's fall. Like Marwan, the country is struggling to heal a year after the Assad dynasty’s repressive 50-year reign came to an end following 14 years of civil war that left an estimated half a million people dead, millions more displaced, and the country battered and divided. Assad's downfall came as a shock, even to the insurgents who unseated him. In late November 2024, groups in the country’s northwest — led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist rebel group whose then-leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, is now the country’s interim president — launched an offensive on the city of Aleppo, aiming to take it back from Assad’s forces. They were startled when the Syrian army collapsed with little resistance, first in Aleppo, then the key cities of Hama and Homs, leaving the road to Damascus open. Meanwhile, insurgent groups in the country’s south mobilized to make their own push toward the capital. The rebels took Damascus on Dec. 8 while Assad was whisked away by Russian forces and remains in exile in Moscow. But Russia, a longtime Assad ally, did not intervene militarily to defend him and has since established ties with the country's new rulers and maintained its bases on the Syrian coast. Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesperson for Syrian Ministry of Defense, said HTS and its allies had launched a major organizational overhaul after Assad’s forces regained control of a number of formerly rebel-controlled areas in 2019 and 2020. The rebel offensive in November 2024 was not initially aimed at seizing Damascus but was meant to preempt an expected major offensive by Assad’s forces in opposition-held Idlib intending to “finish the Idlib file,” Abdul Ghani said. Launching an attack on Aleppo “was a military solution to expand the radius of the battle and thus safeguard the liberated interior areas," he said. In timing the attack, the insurgents also took advantage of the fact that Russia was distracted by its war in Ukraine and that the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, another Assad ally, was licking its wounds after a damaging war with Israel. When the Syrian army’s defenses collapsed, the rebels pressed on, “taking advantage of every golden opportunity,” Abdul Ghani said. Successes abroad, challenges at home Since his sudden ascent to power, al-Sharaa has launched a diplomatic charm offensive, building ties with Western and Arab countries that shunned Assad and that once considered al-Sharaa a terrorist. In November, he became the first Syrian president since the country’s independence in 1946 to visit Washington. In a speech in Damascus on Monday, al-Sharaa described his vision of Syria as “a strong country that belongs to its ancient past, looks forward to a promising future and is restoring its natural position in its Arab, regional and international environment" and will join “the ranks of the most advanced nations.” But the diplomatic successes have been offset by outbreaks of sectarian violence in which hundreds of civilians from the Alawite and Druze minorities were killed by pro-government Sunni fighters. Local Druze groups have now set up their own de facto government and military in the southern Sweida province. There are ongoing tensions between the new government in Damascus and Kurdish-led forces controlling the country’s northeast, despite an agreement inked in March that was supposed to lead to a merger of their forces. Israel is wary of Syria's new Islamist-led government even though al-Sharaa has said he wants no conflict with the country. Israel has seized a formerly U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and launched regular airstrikes and incursions since Assad’s fall. Negotiations for a security agreement have stalled. Remnants of the civil war are everywhere. The Mines Advisory Group reported Monday that at least 590 people have been killed by landmines in Syria since Assad’s fall, including 167 children, putting the country on track to record the world’s highest landmine casualty rate in 2025. Meanwhile, the economy has remained sluggish, despite the lifting of most Western sanctions. While Gulf countries have promised to invest in reconstruction projects, little has materialized on the ground. The World Bank estimates that rebuilding the country’s war-damaged areas will cost $216 billion. Rebuilding largely an individual effort The rebuilding that has taken place has largely been individual owners paying to fix their own damaged houses and businesses. On the outskirts of Damascus, the once-vibrant Yarmouk Palestinian camp today largely resembles a moonscape. Taken over by a series of militant groups then bombarded by government planes, the camp was all but abandoned after 2018. Since Assad’s fall, a steady stream of former residents have come back. The most damaged areas remain largely deserted but on the main street leading into the camp, bit by bit, blasted-out walls have been replaced in the buildings that remain structurally sound. Shops have reopened and families have come back to their apartments. But any larger reconstruction initiative appears to still be far off. “It’s been a year since the regime fell. I would hope they could remove the old destroyed houses and build towers,” said Maher al-Homsi, who is fixing his damaged home to move back, although the area doesn't even have a water connection. His neighbor, Etab al-Hawari, was willing to cut the new authorities some slack. “They inherited an empty country — the banks are empty, the infrastructure was robbed, the homes were robbed," she said. Bassam Dimashqi, a dentist from Damascus, said of the country after Assad’s fall, “Of course it’s better, there’s freedom of some sort.” But he remains anxious about the precarious security situation and its economic impacts. “The job of the state is to impose security, and once you impose security, everything else will come," he said. "The security situation is what encourages investors to come and do projects.” The U.N refugee agency reports that more than 1 million refugees and nearly 2 million internally displaced Syrians have returned to their homes since Assad’s fall. But without jobs and reconstruction, some will leave again. Among them is Marwan, the former prisoner, who says the post-Assad situation in Syria is “far better” than before. But he is struggling economically. Sometimes he picks up labor that pays only 50,000 or 60,000 Syrian pounds daily, the equivalent of about $5. Once he finishes his tuberculosis treatment, he said, he plans to leave to Lebanon in search of better-paid work.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “hasn’t read” the latest U.S.-drafted peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia, suggesting this is delaying progress in negotiations. Speaking to reporters on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors, Trump voiced frustration after U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators wrapped up three days of talks in Florida. “I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago,” he said. Trump claimed Ukrainian officials were positive about the plan and added, “Russia is, I believe, fine with it,” although Moscow has not publicly endorsed it. Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said parts of the proposal were unworkable, even though earlier drafts were viewed as favorable to Moscow. Trump has had an uneven relationship with Zelenskyy during his second term, repeatedly criticizing the war as a burden on U.S. taxpayers and urging Ukraine to hand over territory to end the nearly four-year conflict. Zelenskyy said Saturday he had a “substantive phone call” with U.S. officials involved in the negotiations and that Ukraine remained committed to working “in good faith” toward a genuine peace deal. Russia on Sunday welcomed the Trump administration’s new national security strategy, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling Russia’s Tass news agency that the updated document aligned with Moscow’s preference for dialogue over confrontation. The strategy outlines Washington’s intent to improve relations with Russia and identifies ending the war as essential for restoring “strategic stability.” Trump’s outgoing Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday, said efforts to finalize a deal were “in the last 10 meters.” He said the main unresolved issues involve the status of the Donbas region and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, both largely under Russian control. Kellogg, who leaves his post in January, did not attend the Florida talks. Officials also said leaders of the UK, France and Germany are set to meet Zelenskyy in London on Monday. As discussions concluded, Russian missile, drone and artillery strikes killed at least four people across Ukraine between Saturday night and Sunday. A man died in a drone strike in Chernihiv region, while attacks on Kremenchuk knocked out power and water supplies in the industrial city. Three more people were killed and 10 wounded in shelling in Kharkiv region, according to prosecutors. Ukraine and its Western partners say Russia aims to plunge civilians into darkness and cold for a fourth winter by targeting power infrastructure.  

Greenland on Monday began its annual meetings with U.S. officials to discuss bilateral cooperation, closing a year in which U.S. President Donald Trump revived talk of a potential U.S. takeover of the mineral-rich, semiautonomous Danish territory. The two-day meetings include a bilateral “joint committee” session focusing on cooperation in key areas, according to Greenland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Science. A separate “permanent committee” meeting will involve Danish government officials. Last year, similar discussions were held in the United States. Vivian Motzfeldt, head of the ministry, said Greenland is “pleased” to host the talks. “Through these successful meetings, we ensure that the interests of the Greenlanders and the Americans are respected for the benefit of all parties,” she said, noting the aim is to “develop cooperation in areas of common interest.” Earlier this year, Trump raised concerns in Greenland, Denmark, and the European Union by again suggesting a U.S. takeover of Greenland after beginning his second term. The matter drew renewed attention in August when Danish officials summoned the U.S. ambassador following reports that at least three Trump-connected individuals carried out covert influence operations on the island. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also visited a remote military base on Greenland this year, criticizing Denmark for underinvestment. Trump has described Greenland as vital to U.S. security and has not ruled out using military force, despite Denmark being a NATO ally.