Trump issues fresh threat as pressure over Greenland skyrockets | World | News
Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries not supporting his desire to acquire Greenland. He told reporters on Friday: “I may put a tariff on countries that don’t go along with Greenland. We need Greenland for national security, so I may do that.”
The US president’s latest threat against the Danish island comes as a bipartisan congressional delegation arrived for talks in Copenhagen, aimed at supporting America’s NATO ally. The 11 congressmen and women were to hold talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin told reporters: “We are showing bipartisan solidarity with the people of this country and with Greenland. They’ve been our friends and allies for decades.
“We want them to know we appreciate that very much. And the statements being made by the president do not reflect what the American people feel.”
Danish foreign ministers said Copenhagen and Washington were in “fundamental disagreement” over the future of Greenland following their White House talks on Wednesday.
Trump says the US “needs” mineral-rich Greenland. He has previously criticised Denmark for not doing enough to ensure Greenland’s security. This claim has been opposed by many, including Barack Obama’s former assistant secretary of state Frank Rose, the last US official to negotiate a defence agreement with Denmark and the Greenland Home Rule administration.
He told the Express: “Let’s be blunt. The United States has guaranteed the security of Greenland for the last 80 years. It’s not the Danish military. That’s fundamentally what happened during the Second World War, and it was essentially codified in the Defence of Greenland Treaty. So it is primarily a US responsibility.”
As “good allies”, Rose added that Denmark and Greenland have consistently supported US security needs.
Large demonstrations are planned across Denmark and Greenland on Saturday to protest against Trump’s territorial ambitions. Thousands of people have said on social media they will take part in the protests organised by Greenlandic associations in Nuuk and Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense.
In Nuuk, a 39-year-old union representative, who wishes to stay under anonymity, said: “Congress would never approve of a military action in Greenland. It’s just one idiot speaking.
“If he does it, he’ll get impeached or kicked out. If people in Congress want to save their own democracy, they have to step up.”
