Danes struggle with response to Trump Greenland threat 6 hours ago Laura Gozzi BBC News in Copenhagen Copenhagen’s gloomy January weather matches the mood among Denmark’s politicians and business leaders.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen downplayed Trump’s own suggestion that the US might use military force to seize Greenland.
She’s been burned before, in 2019, when Trump cancelled a trip to Denmark after she said his proposal to buy Greenland was “absurd”.
“It would’ve been prudent and clever to stand behind Greenland and just clearly state that Denmark doesn’t want [a US takeover].”
“Greenland today has more independence than Denmark has from the EU,” Jarlov added.
Danes find it difficult to respond to Trump’s threat from Greenland.
Six hours ago.
Gozzi Laura.
The BBC in Copenhagen.
The depressing January weather in Copenhagen reflects the attitude of Denmark’s business and political elites.
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated, “We take this situation very, very seriously,” in reference to Donald Trump’s threats to buy Greenland and impose high tariffs on Denmark if it stops him.
However, he went on to say that the government had “no ambition whatsoever to escalate some debate.”. “..”.
Trump’s own reference to the possibility of US military action to annex Greenland was minimized by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Danish TV aired her statement, “I don’t have the fantasy to imagine that it’ll ever get to that.”.
Danish Industry’s CEO, Lars Sandahl Sorensen, added that there was “every reason to stay calm.”. A trade war doesn’t interest anyone. “..”.
High-level meetings have been hurriedly organized behind the scenes in Copenhagen all week, reflecting the shock of Trump’s comments.
On Wednesday, Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede flew in to meet King Frederik X and the prime minister.
And in Denmark’s parliament, party leaders from all sides of the political spectrum convened for an extraordinary meeting on Thursday night to discuss the crisis with Mette Frederiksen.
Frederiksen, who has frequently referred to the United States as “Denmark’s closest partner,” has made a general effort to adopt a conciliatory stance in response to what many in Denmark are describing as Trump’s “provocation.”.
She added that it was “only natural” for the US to be focused on Greenland and the Arctic.
She did, however, add that the Greenlanders should be the only ones to decide the future of the region: “Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders.”. and the future must be determined by the Greenlanders themselves. “,”.
She takes two precautions.
On the one hand, Frederiksen is anxious to keep things from getting worse. In 2019, she was burned once more when Trump canceled a trip to Denmark after she called his plan to purchase Greenland “absurd.”.
“But perhaps this is the new normal,” veteran political journalist Erik Holstein told the BBC ., adding that “back then he only had one more year in office, then things went back to normal.”. “.
However, Frederiksen’s remarks also highlight Denmark’s determination to abstain from interfering in the internal affairs of Greenland, an autonomous region with its own parliament and a populace that is moving closer to independence.
“She should’ve been much clearer in rejecting the idea,” Rasmus Jarlov, an opposition MP, said.
While acknowledging that Trump’s assertiveness had “surprised everybody,” he told the BBC, “This level of disrespect from the coming US president towards very, very loyal allies and friends is record-setting.”. “.
“Only Greenland,” Frederiksen insisted, and the conservative MP believed him. “can decide and define Greenland’s future” put the people of the island under excessive strain. “It would have been wise and astute to support Greenland and make it plain that Denmark opposes [a US takeover].”. “.”.
With its prime minister only recently formally apologizing for leading a social experiment in the 1950s that saw Inuit children taken from their families and re-educated as “model Danes,” Denmark faces a delicate situation with the Greenland issue.
Greenland should break free from “the shackles of colonialism,” according to the leader of the territory last week. “.”.
In doing so, he capitalized on the growing nationalist sentiment that was stoked by the younger generations of Greenlanders’ fascination with the Inuit’s indigenous culture and history.
The majority of analysts now predict that an independence referendum will be successful soon. Although many would view it as a win, given that Greenland’s economy depends on Denmark to the tune of 60%, it may also bring with it a new set of issues.
“Would need to make choices,” Karsten Honge said of an independent Greenland. The Social Democrat MP now worries that his ideal scenario—a new Commonwealth-style agreement “based on equality and democracy”—remains unlikely.
Honge stated that Greenland would have to determine “how much it values independence” while seated in his parliamentary office, which is embellished with drawings and poems that portray various aspects of Inuit life. “But if you cherish independence then that doesn’t make sense,” Honge said, referring to the possibility of cutting ties with Denmark and turning to the US. “,”.
While forcing Greenland to join Denmark is pointless, opposition MP Jarlov contends that “it is very close to being an independent country already.”.
Although its capital, Nuuk, is self-governing, it depends on Copenhagen for significant subsidies as well as assistance with defense, foreign policy, and currency management.
“Today, Greenland is more independent from the EU than Denmark,” Jarlov continued. “I therefore hope they give it some thought. “.”.
The strongest response to Trump’s remarks to date has come from outside Denmark, leaving Mette Frederiksen with the difficult task of responding firmly without upsetting either the US or Greenland.
The idea that borders are untouchable “applies to every country.”. The European Union will not allow other countries to “attack its sovereign borders,” according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a warning, regardless of how big or small the threat.
Their remarks revealed the intense anxiety in the EU over how to deal with the impending Trump administration. “This is not just very serious for Denmark and Greenland, it is serious to the entire world and to Europe as a whole,” stated Member of Parliament Karsten Honge.
Consider a scenario in which there are no international agreements, which could be our reality in a few weeks. Denmark would only be a minor part of that upheaval. “..”.
In a similar vein, the Danish trade sector has been deeply uneasy since Trump threatened to “tariff Denmark at a very high level” if it did not cede Greenland to the United States.
According to a 2024 Danish Industry study, if the US imposed 10% tariffs on EU imports to the US as part of a global trade war, Denmark’s GDP would drop by three percentage points.
It would be nearly impossible for the US to separate Danish goods from the flood of EU goods, and the EU would almost certainly take retaliatory action. Professionals in the trade sector, however, are not taking many chances, and Denmark, like other countries on the continent, is investing a significant amount of internal resources in preparation for the possible outcomes of Donald Trump’s second term in office.
Danes are doing everything they can to be ready for his inauguration. It is hoped that the president-elect will soon divert his attention from the Greenland issue and instead focus on grievances against other EU partners.
However, the unease sparked by Trump’s inability to rule out using force to occupy Greenland still exists.
According to Karsten Honge, Denmark will be negatively impacted by any decision made by the United States.
His statement was partially satirical: “They simply need to send a small battleship to travel down the Greenland coast and send a polite letter to Denmark.”.
“So, what are you going to do about it, Denmark?” would be the final sentence.
About Trump, that is the new reality. “.”.
