'Not for sale': Greenland PM responds to Trump's 'control' comment

Greenland Prime Minister Múte Egede hit back at US President-elect Donald Trump, insisting that the island is “not for sale and will never be” after the American leader reiterated his ambition to buy it. On Monday, Trump said that “for purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

Greenland is a large icy Arctic island, which houses 50,000 residents and is a self-ruling territory of Denmark. While dismissing Trump’s remarks, Greenland’s leader responded to the matter swiftly. “Greenland is ours,” Egede wrote. “We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom,” he added.

Egede’s remarks came hours after Trump nominated Ken Howery as the US ambassador to Denmark. Howery served as the American Ambassador to Sweden during Trump’s first stint in the White House. Over the weekend Trump suggested that the US should take back the control over the Panama Canal, which is owned and operated by the Panama government-owned Panama Canal Authority.

Panama President José Raúl Mulino responded that “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will continue belonging to Panama.” “We’ll see about that!” Trump replied to Mulino’s remarks.

Not the first time

Back in 2019, Trump indicated that he wanted to purchase Greenland. At that time, he was mostly interested in the region’s natural resources and geopolitical relevance. Despite the then president’s frequent remarks on the matter, leaders in Denmark were not jazzed about his instances.

“Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said during a visit to Greenland in 2019. Frustrated by the rebuttal, Trump cancelled a meeting with her because she called Trump’s proposition “absurd”.

Despite several attempts, the plan to purchase Greenland ultimately fizzled out during Trump’s term. The idea was totally abandoned by US President Joe Biden’s administration. With the recent comments, it seems that Trump is interested in reviving his project after he takes back the Oval Office.

It is pertinent to note that Trump is not the only president who expressed intention to buy Greenland. The idea was first pushed by former US President Andrew Jackson in the 1860s. Amid the warning, the Danish government has allocated $1.5 billion for the island’s defence.

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that the timing of the package is an “irony of fate”. Poulsen said that the package would allow for the purchase of two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones, and two extra dog sledge teams, BBC News reported. He noted that the funds would be used to upgrade one of Greenland’s three main civilian airports to handle F-35 fighter jets. “We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence," he added.

With inputs from agencies.