Why Donald Trump wants to acquire Greenland after 'horrific' phone call 'freaked out' Danish officials
Having been sworn into office earlier this week, Donald Trump has already started taking action on a number of big plans.
From changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the release of classified documents, he also hopes to take on something new.
Having been discussed before his inauguration on Monday (20 January), Trump has made it pretty clear he’s interested in acquiring Greenland.
And even more so after the US president had a ‘horrific’ phone call which reportedly ‘freaked out’ Danish officials.
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The world’s largest island, Greenland is a largely autonomous territory of Denmark which has said it is not for sale.
Trump’s ‘fiery’ phone call
This interest of Trump and his government to acquire Greenland hasn’t really been taken seriously but a recent phone call seems to have ramped it up.
Danish officials, who wished to stay anonymous, spoke to the Financial Times after Trump had a call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
They claimed the president was fiery, aggressive, and confrontational, despite the offer to increase Greenland-US cooperation on military bases and natural resources.
An unnamed source said: “[Trump] was very firm. It was a cold shower. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But I do think it is serious, and potentially very dangerous.”
Why does Trump want Greenland?
Before he was sworn into office, Trump had discussed his reasons behind wanting to acquire Greenland.
“People don’t really know if Denmark has any legal right to it,” Trump claimed, while speaking to reporters. “But if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security – that’s for the free world. I’m talking about protecting the free world.
“You don’t even need binoculars, you look outside you have China, ships all over the place. You have Russian ships all over the place. We’re not letting that happen.”
He echoed this in a post to his social media platform, Truth Social, where Trump said: "For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.
“Greenland is an incredible place. The people will benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation. We will protect it, cherish it, from a very vicious outside World. "MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”
What Greenland thinks
Frederikson has previously said how the prime minister of Greenland, Mute Edege, ‘has been very, very clear ... there is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future'.
And while Edege has called for independence from Denmark in the past, he has expressed no interest in Greenland becoming part of the US.
Topics: World News, Politics, US News, Donald Trump
Jess Battison