US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Greenland should be controlled by the United States rather than Denmark, renewing a position that has caused tensions between Washington and Copenhagen.
Speaking during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump argued that the Arctic territory was strategically important to US security.
Trump reiterates US claim
“It should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark,” Trump told reporters.
His repeated calls for the United States to acquire or assume control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, have strained relations between two founding members of NATO and prompted wider concern across Europe.
Trump said the dispute had also affected his relationship with the alliance.
“This hurt my relationship with NATO because Greenland does not help Denmark,” he said.
Arctic security concerns
The US president accused Denmark of failing to invest sufficiently in Greenland and claimed the territory was surrounded by Chinese and Russian vessels.
“Denmark does not spend money to really help Greenland, but it is an important part for the United States, and it is surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships, and that is not going to happen,” Trump said.
He also linked the disagreement to US spending on European security.
“They would not agree to that, with all the money we spend to help them with Russia,” he added.
Talks continue
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June that discussions involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland were continuing on a monthly basis.
Source: AMNA
