Trump threatens to occupy Greenland, Denmark sends conciliatory messages

In recent days, Denmark has sent secret messages to President-elect Donald Trump’s team, in which it expressed a willingness to discuss strengthening security in Greenland or increasing the American military presence on the island, the American news site Axios reported.

Until now, Denmark has refused to legitimize any proposal to change the existing situation or to give another US foothold on the territory of the island.

The report comes against the background of Trump’s refusal to rule out the use of military force to take control of Greenland, a step that could be interpreted as an actual threat to the territory of a NATO ally. Last week, Trump claimed that control of Greenland is essential to the national security of the United States against Russia and China.

Greenland has about 56,000 inhabitants and is largely autonomous, but Denmark is responsible for its protection. According to the report, the Danish government wants to convince Trump that his security concerns can be addressed without claiming full ownership of Greenland.

Denmark wants to avoid a public confrontation

A European diplomatic source told the Axios news website that Denmark is considered one of the US’s closest allies in the European Union, and no one imagined that it would be the first country Trump would clash with.

Danish Prime Minister Metta Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Mota Egged met in Copenhagen on Friday to discuss the situation. At a press conference after the meeting, Frederiksen said she asked to meet with Trump. Egged said that he is also ready to talk to the president-elect.

“Greenland belongs to the Greenlandic people. We don’t want to be Danes, we don’t want to be Americans. We want to be Greenlanders,” Egged said.

According to various reports, the Danish government wishes to avoid a public confrontation with the new American administration, and has asked Trump’s team for clarification regarding his exact intent in his statements.

In the messages sent to Trump’s team, Denmark made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, but expressed as stated a willingness to discuss other US requests regarding the island.

Trump himself has already managed to be interviewed about three different countries – Denmark threatening to conquer Greenland, Panama threatening to take over the Panama Canal and Canada threatening to make it the 51st country of the USA.