Does Donald Trump really want to buy Greenland?
Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, is interested in buying Greenland. But Denmark isn’t playing ball.
President Trump has acknowledged he is interested in buying the Danish territory, but said it is “not No.1 on the burner”.
“The concept came up and … strategically it’s interesting,” Trump told reporters on Sunday in Morristown, New Jersey, as he prepared to board Air Force One, according to ABC News.
The comments come after The Washington Post alleged Trump had discussed the possibility of purchasing the island with his cabinet. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow confirmed the idea had been floated.
The President has since posted an image of a golden Trump building over Greenland, writing: “I promise not to do this to Greenland!”
I promise not to do this to Greenland! pic.twitter.com/03DdyVU6HA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2019
And what did the rest of the world make of this news?
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded that Greenland was “not for sale” and that the idea of it being sold was “absurd”.
“Greenland is not for sale. Greenland is not Danish. Greenland belongs to Greenland. I strongly hope that this is not meant seriously,” the Prime Minister told the Sermitsiaq newspaper.
One Greenland resident told CBS “I think he’s crazy”, while another, as reported by ABC News, said: “It feels as if he’s very patronising. It’s stupid.”
On Monday, President Trump’s son Eric shared the same photo of a Trump Tower in Greenland on Instagram, with the caption: “I don’t know about you guys, but I love the concept of buying Greenland.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XOvNLAQx_/?utm_source=ig_embed
“Denmark owns Greenland, Denmark is an ally, Greenland is a strategic place, up there,” Kudlow told Fox News. “And they’ve got a lot of valuable minerals.”
“I don’t want to predict an outcome,” Kudlow said. “I’m just saying the President, who knows a thing or two about buying real estate, wants to take a look at a Greenland purchase.”
Kudlow noted that former US president Harry Truman had wanted to buy Greenland in 1946, and said the situation was “developing”.
“It’s an absurd discussion, and Kim Kielsen has of course made it clear that Greenland is not for sale. That’s where the conversation ends,” Prime Minister Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster DR.
Greenland’s foreign minister, Ane Lone Bagger, told Reuters on Friday: “We are open for business, but we’re not for sale.”
President Trump has since cancelled a visit to Denmark as part of a trip to Europe set for September over Frederiksen’s comments, as revealed via Twitter.
….The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 20, 2019
A White House official confirmed that Trump had canceled a scheduled visit to Denmark, according to The Guardian.
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