Washington DC [US], December 24: President Donald Trump on Monday insisted that the United States needs the self-ruling Danish territory of Greenland "for national security," a day after angering Copenhagen by appointing a special envoy for the island.
"We need Greenland for national security, not for minerals," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
"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 need Greenland for national security. And if you take a look at Greenland, 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." Denmark earlier on Monday summoned the US ambassador for talks after Trump announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as US special envoy to the self-ruling Danish territory.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told broadcaster TV2 that the appointment was totally unexpected and described Landry's public remarks as "completely unacceptable."
Landry, a Republican like Trump, had said in a post on social media that it was "an honor" to serve Trump in making "Greenland a part of the US." Trump announced Landry's appointment late on Sunday, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform that Landry understood "how essential Greenland is to our national security." Landry will continue to serve as governor of Louisiana.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived an idea from his first term of gaining control of the island - and has not ruled out the use of force. Denmark and Greenland reject these efforts.
The US president has repeatedly stated that he believes Greenland, which is largely autonomous but part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is strategically important both for defence and as a source of mineral wealth.
Greenland - the world's largest island - is four-fifths covered in ice and home to just under 57,000 people.
Danish media recently reported that the US government is seeking to establish direct contacts with the Greenlandic government. However, it is political practice in Denmark to have both Danish and Greenlandic representatives present at talks concerning foreign, security or defence issues affecting the island.
It was not immediately clear why Trump named Landry as special envoy to the island. Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, is about 4,600 kilometres south-west of the Arctic island's capital Nuuk.
Louisiana was once part of France and purchased by the US in 1803 in a $15-million deal that gave the union a large north-south swath from New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico to Wyoming and North Dakota. Today, the Louisiana Purchase encompasses all or some of 15 US states.
Trump's predecessors customarily have appointed special envoys primarily for difficult negotiations and crisis situations. Relations with allies, such as NATO partner Denmark, are traditionally managed by US ambassadors.
Greenland's prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, struck a note of calm on Monday, saying the news out of Washington was "not a cause for concern."
Source: Qatar Tribune
