Trump Doubles Down on Greenland Acquisition

President Donald Trump doubled down on his plans to acquire Greenland, saying over the weekend “I think we’re going to have it,” and adding that the island’s 57,000 citizens “want to be with us”.

Trump was speaking to media onboard Air Force One, following what Danish officials described as a very tense call with Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen on Friday. The Financial Times broke the news of the call, which lasted 45 minutes and during which PM Fredriksen insisted that Greenland was not for sale.

Trump, however, appeared to have not accepted no for an answer and reportedly became “aggressive and confrontational following the Danish prime minister’s comments that the island was not for sale, despite her offer of more co-operation on military bases and mineral exploitation,” the FT wrote.

“He was very firm. It was a cold shower. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But I do think it is serious, and potentially very dangerous,” one unnamed European official told the FT.

Greenland’s government has stated it does not want to become a state and that it will make its own decisions as an autonomous entity. “Greenland is not for sale,” the island’s prime minister, Mute Egede, said earlier this month when Trump started his campaign for Greenland.

Following a Trump statement that he would not exclude the use of force to take Greenland, Egede said “It is very understandable that people are worried. But the most important thing now is that people remain calm. We must be able to meet and talk about this calmly.”

“That’s what we’re working on,” Egede added. “You can’t get around the fact that if they [the U.S.] want to talk about Greenland, they have to talk to Greenland.”

According to Trump, taking possession of Greenland is a matter of national security.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com