As President-elect Donald Trump continues to voice his renewed curiosity in buying Greenland as a territory of the USA, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen shared a message for him: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”
“Greenland is not for sale,” Frederiksen mentioned Tuesday on Danish tv, based on the BBC and Politico EU.
Her feedback landed the identical day Donald Trump Jr. arrived on the Arctic island within the household’s branded jet for a quick, non-public go to. On social media, the president-elect referred to his eldest son, and people accompanying him, as his representatives.
Frederiksen’s feedback echoed these made by Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede after Donald Trump revived his 2019 concept to purchase the land in a press release saying his choose for ambassador to Denmark.
“Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” Egede mentioned final month.
The frigid island has been a territory of Denmark for tons of of years, gaining rights to house rule within the twentieth century.
Trump mentioned in December that “for purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
He refused to rule out utilizing army pressure to take management of the island throughout a prolonged, rambling press convention Tuesday.
An independence motion in Greenland has led to higher levels of autonomy over the previous a number of a long time for residents, who’re primarily Inuit. Egede reportedly hinted final week {that a} referendum on independence from Denmark could possibly be held as early as April of this 12 months.
EMIL STACH through Getty Photos
Trump’s curiosity in Greenland stems from its mineral-rich deposits and strategic place between the U.S., Russia and China. The U.S. already operates a army base on the island to detect missiles headed for North America. Melting sea ice may additionally open up new routes for worldwide commerce because the local weather disaster worsens.
Frederiksen famous that whereas promoting off the territory could also be a non-starter, U.S. funding in Greenland is greater than welcome.
“We have a clear interest that it’s the U.S. that plays a large role in that region, and not, for example, Russia,” she mentioned, based on Bloomberg.
Trump Jr. shared scenes from his go to on Instagram.
“This is the founder,” he mentioned, pointing to a statue of Hans Egede, an 18th-century missionary who established the capital metropolis of Nuuk. “Just incredible scenery. Super cool stuff.”
In one other video, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk holds the digital camera as he pans to point out Trump Jr. and a cadre of younger males.
“They love America. They love Trump. They want to utilize their resources,” Trump Jr. mentioned of the folks he apparently met, talking onboard the household jet earlier than takeoff.
