US President Donald Trump has repeatedly asserted his desire to purchase Greenland from Denmark for ‘strategic purposes’. Denmark has vociferously opposed Trump’s proposal, saying the territory is ‘not for sale’.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said that Greenlanders don’t want to be part of Denmark anymore. The development comes after Denmark rejected Donald Trump’s “strategic buyout” proposal of Greenland, as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, in a direct retort to the US, said, “You cannot annex another country.”
Rubio, in a statement at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, said, “Denmark should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don’t want to be a part of it.” He further emphasised, “We didn’t give them (Greenlanders) that idea; they’ve been talking about that for a long time.”
Taking a jibe at China, the US Secretary of State said that the US is not going to “let China come in now and offer them a bunch of money and become dependent on it.”
On being asked about Trump’s assertion to keep military options open, Rubio said, “He (President Trump) said he would not rule out – he said I’m not going to rule out anything if Greenland is encroached upon by a foreign power like China or Russia or anybody else.”
Notably, the US-Denmark relations have seen a decline following Trump’s claims over Greenland, as he has repeatedly asserted his intention to acquire the Arctic island.
In a mark of solidarity with Greenlanders, the Danish PM began her three-day visit to Greenland on Wednesday. According to a report, accompanied by the current Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Frederiksen travelled through Nuuk via a Danish naval vessel.
According to Danish media, her visit was welcomed by locals. Upon her arrival on Wednesday, PM Frederiksen stressed the importance of being united amid US pressure.