By Eric Vandenbroeck and co-workers

President Trump's Threat to Take Greenland

Denmark PM urges Trump to stop ‘threatening’ Greenland. The US president’s latest threat comes a day after Washington bombed Venezuela and abducted its president.

“It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing ⁠to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex any of ​the three countries in the Danish Kingdom,” Frederiksen said in ‍a statement on Sunday, January 4.

On Saturday, the United States bombed Venezuela and toppled President Nicolas Maduro, raising concerns in Denmark that the same could happen with Greenland, a Danish territory.

“I would therefore strongly urge the US to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.

The US president has repeatedly called for Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory and NATO member, to become part of the US.

The Trump administration named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who publicly supports annexation, as special envoy to the mineral-rich Arctic Island.

Stephen Miller is widely seen as the architect of much of Trump’s policies, guiding the president on his hardline immigration and domestic agenda.

Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, called the post “disrespectful.

“Relations between nations and peoples are built on mutual respect and international law – not on symbolic gestures that disregard our status and our rights,” he said on X.

Denmark’s ambassador to the US, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, reacted to the post on Sunday by saying, “We expect full respect for the territorial integrity” of Denmark.

Soerensen gave a pointed “friendly reminder” that his country has “significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts” and had worked with the US on that.

“We are close allies, and should continue to work together as such,” he wrote.

"I have to say this very clearly to the United States: it is absolutely absurd to say that the United States should take control of Greenland," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement late Sunday.

She called on Washington to stop "threatening its historical ally".

The United States's European allies were rattled by Trump sending in his military on Saturday to attack Caracas and grab Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who is now being held in New York.

Trump has said the United States will now "run" Venezuela indefinitely and tap its huge oil reserves.

In Greenland's case, Trump has claimed that making the Danish territory part of the United States would serve US national security interests, given its strategic location in the Arctic.

Greenland is also rich in key critical minerals used in high-tech sectors.

Asked in a telephone interview with The Atlantic about the implications of the Venezuela military operation for Greenland, Trump said that it was up to others to decide, according to the magazine, Sunday.

Trump added, "But we do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defense."

Late Saturday, Katie Miller – wife of Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller – posted the contentious image of the Danish autonomous territory in the colors of the US flag on her X feed.

Her post had a single word above it: "SOON".

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the post "disrespectful.

"Relations between nations and peoples are built on mutual respect and international law – not on symbolic gestures that disregard our status and our rights," he stated on X.

But he also said that "there is neither reason for panic nor for concern. Our country is not for sale, and our future is not decided by social media posts".

 

Allies?

Denmark's ambassador to the US, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, reacted earlier on Sunday with his own post saying "we expect full respect for the territorial integrity" of Denmark, above a link to Katie Miller's image.

Moves edging towards that goal by his government, including his appointment of an envoy to the Danish territory, have drawn the ire of both Copenhagen and the European Union.

Stephen Miller is widely seen as the architect of much of Trump's policies, guiding the president on his hardline immigration policies and domestic agenda.

Denmark's ambassador gave a pointed "friendly reminder" in response to Katie Miller's post that his country, a NATO member, has "significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts" and worked together with the US on that.

"We are close allies and should continue to work together as such," Soerensen wrote.

Katie Miller was deputy press secretary under Trump at the Department of Homeland Security during his first term.

She later worked as communications director for then vice president Mike Pence and also acted as his press secretary.

 

 

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