Denmark: Siltanews – News Desk
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has told Donald Trump that it is up to Greenland to decide its own future.
The US president-elect sparked turmoil in Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, last week when he signaled that the US wanted to acquire the huge arctic island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark. In a 45-minute phone call on Wednesday, Frederiksen told Trump that Denmark was prepared to increase its responsibility for security in the Arctic.
She also reiterated the statements of the Greenland PM, Mute Egede, who recently said that Greenland was not for sale. Trump did not react to the call publicly. However, he reposted on his Truth Social account a 2019 poll that indicated 68% of Greenlanders supported independence from Denmark.
A referendum on independence is thought to be on the cards and Denmark has said it would respect any result.
When he was last president, Trump said he wanted to buy Greenland. When Frederiksen called the proposal “absurd”, he abruptly cancelled a trip to Denmark. The Danish government said that in her phone call with Trump, Frederiksen also emphasized that “Danish companies contribute to growth and jobs in the US, and that the EU and the US have a common interest in strengthened trade.” Last week, Trump threatened Denmark with high tariffs if the country did not give up Greenland. The suggestion set off alarm bells among Danish industry leaders, as the US is Denmark’s second largest export market and any targeted tariffs would have a significant impact on the Danish economy.