President Donald Trump is renewing calls to take Greenland, the massive island controlled by Denmark, adding that a special envoy he appointed to the Arctic island would “lead the charge.”
“We need Greenland for national security,” Trump told reporters on Dec. 22, during an announcement that the U.S. would build a “new “Golden Fleet” of “Trump-class” battleships. “You look up and down the coast, you have Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need it for national security. We have to have it.”
Trump’s comments come on the heels of appointing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry as the United States’ special envoy to Greenland. Trump signalled he appointed Landry because “he’s a deal-maker-type guy.”
Denmark, which bristled at Trump’s aims to take the island, summoned the U.S. ambassador in response to Landry’s appointment.
“Out of nowhere, there is now a special U.S. presidential representative, who, according to himself, is tasked with taking over Greenland. This is, of course, completely unacceptable,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told TV2.
At the news conference on Dec. 22, Trump dismissed Denmark’s claims to Greenland.
“Denmark has spent no money there, they have no military protection,” the president said. “They say Denmark was there 300 years ago or something with a boat. Well, we were there with boats too, I’m sure.”
Greenland, a former Danish colony with a population of about 57,000, has the right to declare independence under a 2009 agreement but remains heavily reliant on fishing and Danish subsidies. Its strategic position between Europe and North America makes it a key site for the U.S. ballistic missile defense system, while its mineral wealth has heightened U.S. interest in reducing reliance on Chinese exports.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a statement responding to Landry’s appointment that the island would decide its own future.
Trump also clarified that the U.S. is not interested in Greenland for reasons related to its mineral wealth.
“We have so many sites for minerals, and oil and everything, we have more oil than any other country in the world,” Trump said. “We’ll have to work it all out.”
Contributing: Reuters