NUUK, Greenland
US President Donald Trump’s latest statements on Greenland are “unacceptable,” said the leader of the party that emerged the winner in the island’s Tuesday elections.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Demokraatit (Democrats) Party, which scored a surprise 30% of the votes, called for unity on the island following Trump’s most recent remarks on his ambition to annex Greenland.
“We must stand together,” Nielsen wrote on Facebook.
“Trump's statement is unacceptable and once again shows that in situations like this, we must stand together.”
Underlining that his party will start negotiations with other parties to form a government “with that spirit” of unity, Nielsen confirmed a meeting with other party leaders
In the wake of the election, Nielsen emphasized the importance of a steady and pragmatic approach to Greenland’s relationship with the US.
“We must have a calm course in relation to the USA,” he told local broadcaster KNR shortly after his election victory.
Trump’s remarks
Questioning Denmark’s sovereignty over the island, Trump said on Thursday: “Denmark is very far away and doesn't really have anything to do. What happened? A boat landed there 200 years ago or something. They say they have rights to it, and I don't know if that's true. I actually don't think so.”
He said he has been in contact with Denmark and Greenland, and “we have to do it” – acquire the island – “because we really need it for national security reasons, and therefore I think that NATO may be involved in some way.
"We have a couple of bases in Greenland already, and we have a relatively large number of soldiers there. And maybe you'll see more and more soldiers going there. I don't know," Trump said.
While press reports in the first weeks of Trump’s presidency reported with some incredulity on his ambition to acquire Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal, more recent accounts say Trump may be quite serious.
The island of Greenland – spanning more than 2 million square kilometers (800,000 square miles) – is rich in rare earth minerals crucial for high-tech industries, including nickel, cobalt and copper, in addition to its vast oil and gas potential.
Denmark and Greenland have rejected proposals to sell the territory, with the Danish government asserting its continued sovereignty over the island. A survey done in January showed that 85% of Greenland’s population opposes joining the US, despite Trump’s claims that a US takeover would be welcome.
Greenland's pro-independence Demokraatit Party (Democrats) won a plurality of more than 30% of the vote as results rolled in Wednesday, upsetting the island’s ruling parties.
