WASHINGTON — Denmark provided U.S. forces in the east Atlantic support last week as they intercepted an oil tanker for violations of U.S. sanctions, a Danish government official confirmed on Tuesday.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, declined to provide details about what the support entailed.
But acknowledgement of Danish support for the U.S. operation comes at a moment of tension between the NATO allies as President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the U.S. to take over the Greenland, a strategic Arctic territory of Denmark. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to meet Wednesday in Washington with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt to discuss the matter.
Officials with Denmark and Greenland have repeatedly said that the island is not for sale and expressed frustration that Trump has said he won’t rule out potentially using military force to take the territory.
The U.S. interception in the Atlantic capped a weekslong pursuit of the tanker that began in the Caribbean Sea as the U.S. imposed a blockade in the waters of Venezuela aimed at capturing sanctioned vessels coming in and out of the South American country.
The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Danish support for the U.S. operation was first reported by Newsmax.
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