Greenland again tells Trump it is not for sale
After US President-elect Donald Trump said that he wants to take control of the region, Greenland has once again said that it is not for sale.
“Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people,” its prime minister said Monday, a day after Trump repeated comments about the Arctic island he first made several years ago.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, is home to a large US space facility and lies on the shortest route from the US to Europe, meaning it is strategically important for the US.
There was no immediate reaction from Denmark to Trump’s comments.
Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday, the US president-elect said: “For the purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity. “
His comments drew a sharp rebuke from Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede, who said: “We are not for sale and we will not be for sale.”
“We must not lose our long struggle for independence. However, we must remain open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially our neighbours,” he said.
Trump’s controversial comments came hours after he announced he intended to nominate Ken Howery, his former ambassador to Sweden, as the new ambassador to Denmark.
Mr. Howery said he was “very grateful” by the nomination and looked forward to working with the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen and the U.S. Consulate in Greenland to “deepen the relationship between our countries.”
Trump’s original suggestion in 2019 that the US acquire Greenland, the world’s largest island, drew similarly sharp criticism from leaders there.
Then-Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who still serves in the role, described the idea as “absurd”, prompting Trump to move on. Cancel state visit to the country.
He is not the first US President to suggest buying Greenland. The idea first surfaced in the 1860s under the leadership of Andrew Johnson.
Donald Trump separately on Sunday Threatened to re-establish control over the Panama CanalPanama has been accused of charging exorbitant fees for access to one of the world’s most important waterways.
The President of Panama later said that “every square meter” of the canal and the surrounding area belonged to his country.
