Trump says Greenland should be under US control, not Denmark

ANKARA: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Greenland should be controlled by the United States rather than Denmark, renewing a position that has been a source of friction between Washington and Copenhagen as NATO leaders gathered in Turkey for a summit.

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. Referring to Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory, he said the island should be under US control instead of Danish rule.

In comments carried during the meeting, Trump said the dispute over Greenland had damaged his relationship with NATO. He argued that Denmark was not doing enough for the territory and said the island was strategically important for the United States because of the presence of Chinese and Russian ships in surrounding waters.

Hours later in Ankara, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected the US position and said she expected allies to respect the sovereignty of the Danish kingdom. She also said Greenland was not for sale and added that there were no plans in Ankara to discuss issues linked to the High North, the Arctic or Greenland.

"It is a well-known position of the United States that it wants to own and take over Greenland. I hope that it is equally well-known everywhere that this is not going to happen," she added.

Greenland's Foreign Minister Mute Egede also responded in a Facebook post, saying the island's future must be determined by its own people. He said that had always been the case and would remain so, while adding that Greenland should continue close cooperation with its allies.

Trump also tied the matter to wider alliance relations, saying Denmark had resisted the US position despite American spending to help it in the face of Russia. His renewed comments came against the backdrop of longstanding strain in US-Denmark ties and, more broadly, tensions with Europe over his insistence that the United States must acquire or control Greenland.

The issue has since shifted onto a diplomatic track. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in June that talks with Denmark and Greenland were continuing on a monthly basis.