- US lawmakers travel to Denmark to support Copenhagen and Greenland.
- Denmark strongly rejects Trump’s takeover idea.
- Lawmakers say most Americans don’t support the plan.
COPENHAGEN: US President Donald Trump warned on Friday that he could impose tariffs on countries that do not support his plans to take over Greenland, as members of the US Congress traveled to Copenhagen to lend support to Denmark and its self-governing Arctic island.
The bipartisan delegation, on a two-day visit to the Danish capital, said the US president’s long-standing territorial ambitions – strongly rejected by Denmark – were not shared by the American people.
The Europeans also showed support for Greenland, as part of a military reconnaissance mission to which a Danish general said Washington was invited and which was linked to what Russia is doing after the war in Ukraine.
Trump, once again insisting that the United States needed mineral-rich Greenland for its “national security,” warned that he “may impose tariffs” on countries that object to the stance.
The 11 visiting U.S. lawmakers met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen, as well as Denmark’s foreign and defense ministers, parliamentarians and business leaders.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said there was “good dialogue” and stressed it was important to “nurture” ties between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.
“The vast majority” of Americans do not consider acquiring Greenland to be a good idea for the United States, she told reporters.
“Greenland must be seen as our ally and not as an asset,” she added.
An idiot
The visit follows a meeting in Washington on Wednesday in which Danish representatives said Copenhagen and Washington had a “fundamental disagreement” over the future of Greenland.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said the purpose of the congressmen’s visit was “to listen respectfully to our trusted friends, allies and partners here in Denmark and Greenland.”
Lawmakers then needed to return to the United States “and share those views so we can lower the temperature and have a more constructive dialogue about the best path forward,” he said.
In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, residents welcomed the show of support.
“Congress will never approve military action in Greenland. It’s just an idiot talking,” a 39-year-old union representative told AFP.
“If he (Trump) does this, he will be impeached or expelled. If members of Congress want to save their own democracy, they must step up their efforts,” said the union representative, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Demonstrations
Trump has repeatedly criticized Denmark – a NATO ally – for not, in his view, doing enough to ensure Greenland’s security.
The US president has maintained this argument, even though strategically located Greenland – part of Denmark – is covered by NATO’s security umbrella.
The head of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command, Gen. Soren Andersen, said the United States was invited to the military mission that he said was “about Russia.”
“When the war in Ukraine is over, hopefully with a good result, we hope that Russia will move the resources it uses in Ukraine to other theaters, including in the Arctic,” he told AFP.
“So to prepare for that, we just have to step up, train, and that’s what we’re doing here.”
But Andersen said he had not seen any Russian or Chinese warships in the region in the two and a half years he had been commander.
Military personnel were more visible on Friday in Nuuk, an AFP journalist noted, days after Denmark announced it was strengthening its defense on the island.
The White House said Trump’s goal of seizing Greenland would not be affected by the European military presence, which French Defense Minister Alice Rufo said was a sign the continent was ready to defend its sovereignty.
Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have announced the deployment of a small number of military personnel to prepare for future exercises in the Arctic.
Large demonstrations are planned for Saturday in Denmark and Greenland to protest Trump’s plan.
Thousands of people announced on social networks their intention to participate in the demonstrations organized by Greenlandic associations in Nuuk and Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense.
