Trump’s desire for Greenland ‘is exactly the same’

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that US President Donald Trump’s ambition to buy Greenland has not diminished.

Frederiksen said although the possibility of conflict between NATO allies over the vast Arctic island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark has diminished in recent weeks, the crisis is not over.

“I think the US president’s desire is exactly the same. He is very serious about this theme,” he told a panel at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. he said.

The moderator of the panel asked the prime minister if there was a price at which Denmark would be willing to sell Greenland to Trump.

“Of course not,” he replied.

“Can you price part of Spain? Or part of the USA?”

“We must protect sovereign states. We must protect people’s right to self-determination. And the people of Greenland were very clear: They do not want to be Americans.”

He said he supports increasing NATO presence in Greenland to protect the Arctic; This is one of the main reasons why Trump wants US control of the resource-rich island.

At a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last month, Trump withdrew his threat to use military force to seize Greenland and also lifted punitive tariffs on several European countries that opposed his efforts.

The United States, Denmark and Greenland have been holding talks about the island’s future in various formats, including the Munich conference.

Frederiksen also called on NATO partners to make a long-term commitment to the alliance’s new Arctic Sentinel mission, saying the mission should be strengthened after its initial launch.

The surveillance operation aims to ensure a stronger presence of the alliance in the region. Frederiksen said his country has been demanding a permanent NATO presence in Greenland for years.