President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that he wants the United States to own and manage Greenland, a demand he expressed during his first presidential term.
“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,” Trump stated in an interview with Truth Social.
His statements on Greenland were made in the same statement in which Trump announced the appointment of PayPal co-founder Ken Howery as ambassador to Denmark.
“Ken will do a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States,” said Mr. Obama.
Trump’s increased interest in Greenland comes just after he asked that Panama surrender ownership and control of the Panama Canal to the United States, which the country’s president strongly opposed.
Trump previously stated that he planned to buy Greenland back in 2019. At the time, he was mostly interested in the country’s natural resources and geopolitical significance.
Danish leaders were not pleased with the president’s persistence. The island has independent self-government but is still part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“Greenland isn’t for sale. Greenland isn’t Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. During a 2019 visit to Greenland, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed her fervent wish that this was not taken seriously.
Trump was angered with Frederiksen’s answer and even canceled a meeting with her because of her comments about the ridiculousness of the planned arrangement.
The proposal to buy Greenland faltered during Trump’s time and was completely abandoned by President Joe Biden’s administration, but Trump now appears to be bent on restarting the idea if he returns to the presidency.
