Row continues over Trump’s Greenland comments

CGTN Europe

The United States has no current plans to increase its military presence in Greenland, according to the US embassy in Denmark.   Greenland is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark, but president-elect Donald Trump said he wanted America to take-over the arctic island.   CGTN’s Iolo ap Dafydd is in Copenhagen.   #Greenland #Trump #Denmark

Transcript

00:00Donald Trump, the last time he was president, made similar suggestions.

00:04It certainly sparked, I think, an uncomfortable debate and discussions here,

00:10especially in Denmark.

00:12And Donald Trump's language this time around, earlier this week,

00:16is certainly blunt, and it's seen by some as being threatening as well,

00:20not just towards Greenland, but also the Panama Canal in Central America.

00:25Now, why now? Well, he is back in the White House as president in 11 days' time,

00:31and there is also the security of North America,

00:34and that's why the strategic position in the Arctic region of Greenland,

00:38the natural resources there, the untapped natural resources,

00:41which would interest many, many companies, including, of course, the Greenlandic parliament.

00:47And then there is this ability of Donald Trump trying to utilise some tough language

00:53in a very uncertain world.

00:55But it's definitely caused a bit of a stir.

00:58We've had politicians here running away from the microphone

01:01rather than appearing in front of them.

01:07Greenland is the world's largest island that's home to a small population.

01:11It's an autonomous region of Denmark that could vote for independence one day.

01:15Closer to New York than Copenhagen, it's now coveted by the next US president.

01:21But there isn't a crisis so far.

01:23This is the way he does international relations.

01:26Sometimes he's just joking, sometimes it's bravado, sometimes it's threats.

01:31And the only real danger is if he begins doing some of the stuff he's talking about.

01:37In an extraordinary news conference earlier this week,

01:40Donald Trump said he wanted control of Greenland and the Panama Canal.

01:44He said he wouldn't rule out military action or economic tariffs.

01:48People really don't even know if Denmark has any legal right to it.

01:53But if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security.

01:57The response in Denmark has been a mix of anger and disbelief.

02:01His comments jogged a few memories as Trump had just repeated

02:05what he said in 2019, that he wanted to buy Greenland.

02:09It's the people of Greenland that should decide what to do

02:14and we cannot just sell Greenland.

02:17Trump is Trump, so I don't know what to say.

02:20But no, it's part of Denmark. It's always been.

02:24Greenland, if they want to, they have every right to it.

02:27But I like this collaboration between Greenland and Denmark,

02:31so I think we should continue it.

02:33Both social and traditional media have been buzzing after Trump's comments,

02:37debating whether it really is US security that's at stake

02:41or Greenland's untapped wealth in terms of oil and minerals.

02:45As well as uranium, Greenland has an estimated 43 of the 50 minerals

02:50deemed critical by the US government, not just for military hardware

02:55but also for renewable energy equipment.

02:58And according to an American 2008 survey, an estimated 52 billion barrels of oil.

03:05Donald Trump Jr., the US president-elect's son, visited the island on Tuesday

03:10for some sightseeing, he said.

03:12As he met locals, his father called.

03:14Well, you go have a good time, everybody, and we're going to treat you well.

03:18That kind of message is well-received.

03:20While many are comfortable with his relationship with Denmark

03:24and the more than US$500 million that's paid annually to the local government,

03:28some attitudes are changing.

03:31Denmark doesn't matter much to me. It's just a small country.

03:36We can't use them any longer because there are so many great powers in the world.

03:40So our partners should be a great power because Greenland is very wealthy.

03:44We have everything.

03:46Just like people here, Greenlanders are Danish citizens

03:49and members of the European Union.

03:51Away from Denmark, it's not clear yet how much the geopolitics of the Arctic

03:56or the potential wealth from drilling and mining

03:59could galvanize the next American administration in its quest for Greenland.

04:04And Antony Blinken, the current Secretary of State for another week and a half,

04:09doesn't think that this is a goer.

04:11He said it's not a good suggestion, and it's one he says he doesn't think will happen.

04:16And yet, all the political parties in Denmark are meeting in the parliament this evening

04:21because they are so worried about offending what is seen

04:25as a most important military and economic ally, the United States.

04:29And of course, we're a week and a half away from Donald Trump returning as president.

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