US President-elect Donald Trump may take diplomatic or economic measures to acquire Greenland, Reuters reported, citing sources from the US leader’s entourage.
According to one of the agency’s interlocutors, Trump considers it a lapse that in 70 years the US “has not added a single piece of real estate to its portfolio,” implying an expansion of the country’s territory. He added that the head of state-elect is unlikely to use military force to gain control of Greenland.
Still, Trump is serious about using other means – like applying diplomatic or economic pressure on Denmark – to acquire the world’s largest island that is not a continent, according to Reuters.
Another source among Trump’s associates said he had seen a list of foreign policy priorities compiled by the president-elect’s officials. According to him, “buying Greenland” was one of the items on the list.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned Trump’s idea of annexing the island, adding that Trump’s intentions were unlikely to materialise.
Danish officials fear Trump is much more serious about acquiring Greenland
Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump have warned Danish officials about the seriousness of the US administration’s intentions to buy Greenland, CNN reports, citing unnamed Danish officials.
According to the channel, Danish officials are now “carefully weighing what response to give so as not to provoke a rift in relations with a close ally and NATO member.” One of CNN’s interlocutors noted that Mr Trump’s intentions to acquire Greenland are more serious now than they were during his first term as president.
The channel’s sources in Copenhagen and Washington expressed bewilderment at Donald Trump’s interest in buying Greenland, given the ten-year US defence agreement with the territory already in place. A Pentagon spokesman emphasised that the US administration’s concerns could be linked to Greenland’s possible independence from Denmark. This, he said, could lead to political instability of the island and vulnerability to the influence of Russia and China.
Donald Trump has stated that the US “for the sake of national security and freedom around the world” sees control of Greenland as an “absolute necessity.” He also pledged to make Greenland “great again” if it became part of the US, and stopped short of saying a forceful scenario to take control of the Danish autonomy was impossible.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she did not share the suggestion that Washington could use force to control the island.
Trump’s words caused alarm in Europe
Statements by Donald Trump about Greenland have caused concern among the authorities of European countries.
German leader Olaf Scholz publicly reminded the United States of the need to respect the principle of inviolability of borders, held telephone talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Scholz said European countries had treated Trump’s remarks “with misunderstanding”
when he called the accession of Greenland to the country “an absolute necessity,” thus commenting on the decision to appoint businessman Ken Howery as American ambassador to Denmark.
Trump has also stated that he wants the Panama Canal back, and speculated that Canadians may want to see their country become America’s 51st state.
