Trump advisers warn Danish officials of 'seriousness' in Greenland purchase - CNN

Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump have warned Danish officials that he is serious about buying Greenland. This was reported by CNN, according to UNN.

According to CNN sources, officials in Denmark are now "carefully analyzing how to respond so as not to provoke a major rift with a close ally and NATO member.

When Donald Trump, during his first administration, thought about buying Greenland from Denmark, the Danish prime minister called the idea "absurd.

"The support system for this idea is completely different now" than in 2019, when Trump first proposed it, said one senior Danish official. "It looks much more serious," said another senior Danish official.

On Tuesday, Trump said that "we need Greenland for national security purposes." "People don't even know if Denmark has a legal right to it, but if they do, they should give it up because we need it for national security," he said at a press conference in Mar-a-Lago.

Denmark beefs up Greenland's defenses after Trump's statements24.12.24, 22:00 • 30779 views

Asked about Trump's comments on Wednesday, outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "the idea that was expressed about Greenland is obviously not a good one, but more importantly, it's obviously not going to happen, so we probably shouldn't spend a lot of time talking about it.

Meanwhile, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen made it clear on Wednesday that the country wants to discuss the issue with the incoming Trump administration.

"We are open to a dialogue with the Americans about how we can work even more closely than we already do to ensure that American ambitions are realized," Rasmussen told reporters.

On Tuesday, Trump also warned that Denmark could face high tariffs if it does not relinquish control of Greenland and refused to rule out the possibility of military action to seize it by force.

Trump's comments have already caused tensions with US partners and allies. On Tuesday, Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede made it clear that the territory does not want to participate in a political dispute between the United States and Denmark.

"Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland," he said. "Our future and the struggle for independence is our business.

France and Germany also reacted on Wednesday, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz saying: "The principle of the inviolability of borders applies to every country... regardless of whether it is very small or very powerful," and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: "There is no doubt that the European Union will allow other countries in the world to attack its sovereign borders.

Addendum 

Greenland has long been considered a key U.S. national security objective, especially for repelling a possible Russian attack. But during Trump's first term, national security officials were particularly concerned about China's activities in the Arctic, which at the time was a relatively new threat, a former senior Trump adviser told CNN.

However, U.S. and Danish officials say they do not understand the incoming president's obsession with acquiring Greenland, which Trump has called an "absolute necessity," especially since the United States already has a decades-old defense agreement with the territory that allows the United States to build up a significant military presence-including troops and radar systems-on the world's largest island.

However, the defense official also acknowledged that there are concerns about Greenland's desire for independence from Denmark, a major U.S. and NATO ally. If Greenland becomes independent, it could make the island more politically unstable - and more vulnerable to Russian and Chinese influence.

It is also "debatable" whether Greenland will remain a NATO member if it declares its independence, the official said.

EU downplays Trump's statements on Greenland08.01.25, 18:19 • 21920 views