Over the weekend, Greenland officials strongly pushed back against President Trump’s plan to purchase the country.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Sunday that comments from U.S. officials about the Arctic island have been disrespectful and that the island cannot be purchased, in defiance of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly floated the idea of buying the strategic territory.
Nielsen said Greenland “will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone” as he stood by Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a joint press conference at Frederiksen’s Marienborg official residence in Lyngby, Denmark.
The Greenlandic prime minister was meeting with Frederiksen on the second day of a three-day official visit to Denmark. Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
“The talks from the United States have not been respectful,” Nielsen said. “The words used have not been respectful. That’s why we need in this situation, we need to stand together.”
According to Fox News, Nielsen’s three-day visit seeks to address future cooperation between the two countries.
“Denmark has the will to invest in the Greenlandic society, and we don’t just have that for historical reasons. We also have that because we are part of (the Danish) commonwealth with each other,” Frederiksen said.
“We of course have a will to also continue investing in the Greenlandic society,” she added.
Nielsen is scheduled to meet Denmark’s King Frederik X on Monday before returning to Greenland with Frederik for a royal visit to the island.
Frederiksen and Nielsen were asked whether a meeting had been planned involving them and Trump.
“We always want to meet with the American president,” Frederiksen said. “Of course we want to. But I think we have been very, very clear in what is the [Danish commonwealth’s] approach to all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark.”
Trump has discussed acquiring Greenland, Canada and Panama for months — and has regularly referred to Canada as the 51st U.S. state. Despite skepticism from some, Trump said in an interview with Tine magazine published Friday that he is serious about these proposals.
Meanwhile, Trump has emphasized that Greenland is key for national security purposes. While the Danish territory has said it is seeking independence from Copenhagen but isn’t inclined to join the U.S., Trump has voiced a strong desire to secure Greenland amid increase Russian and Chinese presence in the Arctic.
“If you look at Greenland right now, if you look at the waterways, you have Chinese and Russian ships all over the place, and we’re not going to be able to do that,” Trump told reporters in March. “We’re not relying on Denmark or anybody to take care of that situation. And we’re not talking about peace for the United States, we’re talking about world peace, we’re talking about international security.”
