Denmark & Greenland jittery over

Copenhagen (dpa) — Concern about Greenland is growing in Denmark following renewed comments by US President Donald Trump about the need to bringing the Arctic island under his control.

The seizure by the US of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday and Trump’s growls towards Columbia too suggest Washington may be hatching other shock events – or at least using the threat of intervention to force through foreign policy, observers say.

“In any case, the Americans are showing that they are prepared to go quite far and that they don’t care about other countries,” Arctic researcher Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen from the Danish Defence Academy told the country’s DR radio station on Monday.

“They regard the American continent as their hinterland. That’s bad news for Denmark and Greenland, because that’s where Greenland is located.”

Greenland is an autonomously administered territory in the Arctic and belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark. However, on Sunday evening, Trump again told journalists: “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security.”

Denmark & Greenland jittery over

The island is of great strategic importance, he said, and Denmark cannot ensure security there.

“You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled. It’s true. They thought that was a great move,” Trump said in derision of the NATO ally.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen bluntly rejected the US president’s claim to ownership of the territory.

Numerous heads of government from EU countries, as well as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, backed Frederiksen’s statement.

“That’s enough now,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen also said in response to Trump’s latest comments, posting on Facebook late Sunday, “No more fantasies of annexation.”

On the streets of Greenland’s capital Nuuk, the remarks from the US were the number one topic of conversation.

“It’s so disrespectful that they think they can just take over our country,” Greenlander Mia Schmidt told DR. “It makes me furious!”

Denmark & Greenland jittery over

Several Greenlanders said they were now even more concerned than before. “This is a clear signal from the US that they insist on taking control of Greenland,” Jesper Müller said from Nuuk.

“We must prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” said Greenlandic politician Aaja Chemnitz, who represents her country in the Danish Parliament.

Danish politicians also spoke out after the new threats. “I still cannot imagine that the US is considering a military invasion of Greenland,” liberal politician Martin Lidegaard told the broadcaster. “But they are rattling their sabres and hinting at it. And that is unacceptable.”

Trump had already claimed ownership of Greenland during his first term in office. At the time, many people in Denmark dismissed this as a joke.

Shortly before the start of his second term, Trump brought up Greenland again. Since then, he has repeatedly threatened to take over the island.