Denmark’s PM says Greenland ‘not for sale’ as Donald Trump Jr visits island donald trump news
Ahead of his son’s ‘private’ visit, President-elect Donald Trump again said he wants Greenland to ‘become part’ of the US.
Donald Trump Jr. has arrived in Greenland for a “private” visit, as his father-elect Donald Trump reiterated his desire to make the autonomous Danish territory part of the United States.
Because the younger Trump’s visit to the vast Arctic island on Tuesday was not an official one, he is not expected to meet any Greenlandic or Danish officials.
But the visit has nonetheless fueled speculation that the newly elected president will push to buy Greenland when he takes office on January 20.
Trump further fueled this speculation on his Truth social account late Monday night.
“I’m hearing the Greenlanders are ‘MAGA,'” Trump wrote, referring to the Make America Great Again movement. “My son, Don Jr. and various representatives, will be going there to tour some of the most spectacular areas and sights.”
“Greenland is an incredible place and people would benefit greatly if it became part of our country,” Trump said. “We will protect it from the extremely dangerous outside world and preserve it. Make Greenland Great Again!”
Greenland Prime Minister Mute Eggede has called for independence from Denmark, saying the island needs to be free of its colonial past. The island was colonized by Denmark in 1721 and became an autonomous dependent territory in 1953.
The independence movement has grown as more Danish colonial abuses, primarily against the Inuit population, have come to light in recent years.
However, Egede has previously denied Greenland becoming part of the US. In a statement, Greenland’s government confirmed that Trump Jr.’s visit would take place “as a private individual.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday that “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders”. He said the island is “not for sale”.
For his part, Trump Jr., speaking on a podcast on Monday, also denied that his trip had any political motive.
“No, I’m not buying Greenland,” the young Trump said. “Funnily enough, I’m actually going on a very long personal trip to Greenland.”
‘absolute necessity’
Trump previously planned to buy Greenland during his first term as president from 2017 to 2021, even postponing a trip to Denmark in 2019 after Prime Minister Frederiksen rejected the idea .
The newly elected President has indicated that he plans to adopt a similar disruptive approach in foreign policy this time. This also included efforts to expand American reach, even if it supported isolationism.
In December, Trump said that US control over Greenland was an “imperative necessity”.
The island is home to a large US military base and is considered strategically important as geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia vie for control over the Arctic.
That month, Trump also threatened to wrest control of the Panama Canal from Panama, citing the strategic importance of the trade route crossing Central America. Washington relinquished control of the waterway in 1999 under a treaty signed by the late President Jimmy Carter in 1977.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino immediately hit back by denying any negotiations with the Trump administration on the matter, saying that the canal “belongs to Panama and belongs to the Panamanian people”.
