The leaders of the Northern European countries expressed their support for Denmark on Sunday after US President Donald Trump repeated his claim that The United States needs to take control of Greenland to ensure its national securityinforms TASR.
- President Trump has again emphasized the US interest in controlling Greenland.
- Northern European leaders have expressed strong support for Denmark on this issue.
- The Prime Minister of Greenland called Trump’s statements unacceptable and against respect.
- Greenland and Denmark declared their legal and own decision-making approach unquestionable.
- The leaders emphasized the importance of international law and the sovereignty of autonomous territories.
Trump expressed his interest in the autonomous territory of Denmark again on Sunday in a telephone interview with The Atlantic magazine. When asked about the consequences of the operation in Venezuela for Greenland, he answered that the decision is up to others. “They’ll have to decide for themselves. I really don’t know. But we definitely need Greenland. We need it for national security.” stated.
“There is no one who decides for Greenland and Denmark but Greenland and Denmark themselves. Our Nordic friend Denmark and its Prime Minister have our full support.” wrote in response Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who maintains good relations with Trump. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed himself in a similar vein.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store emphasized that Greenland is an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark and that he fully stands behind Copenhagen. Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir also expressed her support for Denmark. “Nothing about Greenland without Greenland”she wrote.
On Sunday evening, Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen came out strongly against Trump’s statements. He called the American president’s rhetoric unacceptable and pointed out that Greenland has been a close ally and friend of the USA for a long time. However, according to him, the alliance is built on mutual trust and that requires respect.
“No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies about annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But it must be done in the proper way and with respect for international law.” he wrote on Facebook according to AFP.
