In a blunder, Donald Trump admitted that he has no idea who runs Greenland, the country he wants the United States to take over. That’s surprising given that the president has made his intention to purchase or annex the country since 2019. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, January 13 at Joint Base Andrews, the president was asked to respond to remarks made by Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen that he wanted the country to remain with Denmark, which is a NATO ally of the United States. But Trump didn’t know who that person was.
Trump responds to Greenland PM wanting to remain with Denmark
“The premier of Greenland said today, ‘We prefer to stay with Denmark.’ Do you see that as the–” a reporter said to Trump before he interrupted.
“Who said that?” the president said, prompting the reporter to repeat, “The premier of Greenland.”
“Well, that’s their problem,” he stated. “That’s their problem. I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. Don’t know anything about him, but that’s going to be a big problem with him.”
Despite not knowing who the leader of Greenland is, the president has continued to push for the United States to take over the country. On Wednesday, January 14, Trump wrote a lengthy post on social media about why the Arctic territory is strategically important.
“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security,” he wrote. “It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!”
The president said further that NATO would be strengthened and “far more formidable and effective” if the United States took over Greenland. Earlier in January he said that ownership of the country is “psychologically important” to him.
In 2019, per The Wall Street Journal, Trump expressed interest in annexing the country, something which US President Harry Truman attempted to do in 1946 but was unsuccessful. Trump’s renewed interest in obtaining Greenland in recent months has caused a political crisis across Europe, particularly as the US said that it could use military action to press the issue.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on January 6 that “acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the United States, and it’s vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic region.” She continued that “utilizing the U.S. Military is always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.” Given that the US special forces had removed former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power only a few days prior, the threat was taken seriously by the country’s European allies.
On Tuesday, January 14, the Greenland Prime Minister made it clear that the country is siding with Denmark and stood alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederisksen in Copenhagen in a joint address, per DW News.
“We are now facing a geopolitical crisis,” Nielsen emphasized, “and if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark.”
He didn’t mince words when it comes to the country being run by the United States. “One thing must be clear to everyone,” he said, “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
So long as Greenland remains a Danish territory, an invasion of the country by the US would be a violation of NATO’s Article V, which equates an attack on any member of the alliance as an attack on all of them. It would jeopardize the existence of NATO in the first place too.
The crisis has become so fraught that some have suggested that Barron Trump marry the Danish princess as a potential solution.
