Copenhagen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised the people of Greenland for standing strong in the face of what she called great pressure from President Donald Trump’s government for Washington to take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Polls indicate that almost all Greenlanders reject the idea of joining the United States. Recently, anti-American protests have led to some of the largest demonstrations ever witnessed on the Arctic island.
What did the Danish PM say about Greenland’s resistance?
“The attention is overwhelming and the pressure is great, but it is in times like these that you show what you are made of,”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen wrote in a Facebook post addressing the people of Greenland.
“You have not been cowed. You have stood up for who you are, and you have shown what you stand for. That has my deepest respect,”
She stated.
How is Trump pushing for US control of Greenland?
On Wednesday, Trump once again expressed his intention to acquire the island.
“We need Greenland for national security and international security. So, we’ll, I think we’ll go as far as we have to go. We need Greenland, and the world needs us to have Greenland, including Denmark,”
Trump spoke with reporters in the Oval Office.
Why was the US vice president’s visit partially canceled?
U.S. Vice President JD Vance plans to visit the U.S. military base at Pituffik in northern Greenland this Friday. However, a previous arrangement for his wife, Usha, to attend a popular dog-sled race was canceled due to local protests.
The scheduled trip to the sporting event sparked a diplomatic conflict between Copenhagen and Washington, which the Danish government ultimately welcomed the cancellation of. Denmark’s foreign minister stated on Wednesday that deciding to visit only the Pituffik base represented a “de-escalation” of the situation.
