U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that Denmark has not taken any measures to address what he described as the “Russian threat” in Greenland, emphasizing that “the time has come for that, and it will happen.”
Trump wrote in a post on the “Truth Social” platform: “NATO has always told Denmark for 20 years that you must keep the Russian threat away from Greenland. Unfortunately, Denmark has not been able to do anything about it. Now the time has come, and it will happen.”
Trump also insisted that he would not settle for less than his country owning Greenland, the territory that belongs to Denmark and enjoys self-rule, considering that controlling it is necessary for U.S. national security.
In contrast, leaders of Denmark and Greenland, as well as Washington’s allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, affirmed that the island is “not for sale” and that they do not want it to become part of the United States.
In the context of this escalating dispute between the United States and European countries over Greenland, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will hold a meeting on Monday with ministers from Denmark and Greenland at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
The meeting is scheduled to include Greenland’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, and Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, amid increasing U.S. efforts to pressure for control of the island.
This move comes as Trump has escalated his economic tone, announcing that he will impose tariffs of 10 percent on imports from 8 European countries starting from February 1, rising to 25 percent starting from June 1, if a solution that satisfies him is not reached, which is represented in the “full and complete purchase” of Greenland.
Trump clarified that these tariffs will include, in addition to Denmark, Germany, France, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
