ReutersPresident Donald Trump has said he believes the United States will gain control of Greenland, after showing renewed interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory in recent weeks.
“I think we’ll get it,” he told reporters at Air Force 1 on Saturday, adding that the island’s 57,000 residents “want to be with us.”
His comments come after reports that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen insisted she was not sold in a heated phone call with the president last week.
Trump floats the prospect of purchasing vast Arctic territory during his first term in 2019, saying control of Greenland is an ‘absolute necessity’ for international security .
“I think people want to be with us,” Trump said when asked about the press room island aboard the presidential plane.
“I don’t really know what Denmark stands for against it, but if we don’t allow it to happen because it’s for the protection of the free world, it would be a very unfriendly act. “Yes,” he added.
“I think it’s because Greenland is about freedom in the world,” Trump continued.
“It has nothing to do with the United States other than what we can offer freedom. They can’t.”
Despite Trump’s apparent confidence, the prime ministers of Greenland and Denmark have previously said the islands are not for sale.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Muut Egede said the use of the territory’s land is “Greenlandic business”, but he expressed a desire to cooperate more closely with the United States on defense and mining.
Meanwhile, Danish Premier Frederiksen said earlier this month that “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders” and that only local residents can decide its future.
According to a report in the Financial Times, Frederiksen reaffirmed her position in a heated 45-minute phone exchange with Trump last week.
The newspaper quoted an anonymous European official as saying the conversation was “horrific” and said Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland was “serious and potentially very dangerous.” Ta.
Denmark’s prime minister insisted the island was not for sale, but reportedly noted the “huge interest” of the United States.
ReutersGreenland is on the shortest route from North America to Europe and is of strategic importance to the United States. It is also home to America’s large space facilities.
In recent years, interest in Greenland’s natural resources has increased, including the mining of rare earth minerals, uranium, and iron.
The island has wide autonomy, but is part of the Kingdom of Demark.
However, there is a general consensus that Greenland will eventually become independent, which could pave the way for a new kind of relationship with the United States.
President Trump’s claim that Greenlanders “want to be with us” may come as a surprise to some of the island’s residents.
A fishing boat captain from the Kapisilit settlement told BBC Trump that the island was “welcoming” but that “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders”.
And local church elder Karelak Linted said Trump’s language was “unacceptable,” adding: “Greenland is not for sale.”
There are several ways Trump could pursue his desire to take over territory. Asked in early January whether he could rule out the use of military or economic force, Trump said he could not.
His latest comments sent shockwaves through Denmark’s political establishment, prompting a hasty high-level meeting in Copenhagen earlier this month.
