Denmark Is Once Again Ready to Defend Greenland from the US

US President Donald Trump continued the showdown with Denmark over Greenland on Wednesday. Greenland should be under American control, Trump believes.

The issue of Greenland is a “big problem for us”.

US President Donald Trump said this on Wednesday at a summit in Ankara.

“Greenland is a big problem for us. And the other big problem is that when we asked them (the NATO countries, ed.) to join us (in the war against Iran, ed.), they were not there for us.

“We have spent a trillion dollars over a short period of time to protect these countries from Russia, even though it has nothing to do with us. But they have not treated us properly,” says Donald Trump.

In this way, he continues the showdown with Denmark and Greenland, which was resumed upon his arrival at the NATO summit on Tuesday.

Here, Trump stated that the United States wants “control” of Greenland. He repeated that demand on Wednesday:

“Greenland is very important to the United States. But Greenland is not important to Denmark.

“In World War II, Denmark was overrun by the Nazis in less than a day. Hitler beat them in one day and took them over. Then Denmark asked us to take care of Greenland.

“We actually took Greenland, but stupidly we gave it back. We should not have given Greenland back. Because we need Greenland for protection. Not only for the United States, but for the whole world,” says Donald Trump.

He continued:

“We owned it (Greenland, ed.). We had it. And then we gave it back. I don’t know why. I wouldn’t have given the Panama Canal back either,” says Donald Trump.

At the joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump says that “Rutte understands” the American criticism of NATO.

“We will find a solution. But we have been treated very unfairly. We pay a disproportionate amount for NATO,” says Donald Trump.

Thus, the issue of Greenland now appears to be entangled in Trump’s long-standing showdown with European countries over defense spending and assistance to the United States in the war against Iran.

However, there is no question of the United States taking over Greenland against the will of the Greenlanders and Denmark. This was stated by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the summit on Wednesday.

Here she stated that “Greenland is not for sale”.

Asked directly whether Denmark is prepared to defend Greenland militarily, Mette Frederiksen said on Wednesday:

“Of course we are prepared to defend the Kingdom of Denmark,” said Mette Frederiksen on her way to the NATO summit on Wednesday morning.

Source: Sermitsiaq (in Danish)