Danish FM dismisses US annexation speculation on Greenland
Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Friday dismissed speculation that Greenland might become part of the United States, following remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting a potential US annexation of the island.
- OSLO — Danish
Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Friday dismissed speculation that
Greenland might become part of the United States, following remarks by US
President Donald Trump suggesting a potential US annexation of the island.
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- Speaking about the recent election in Greenland, an
autonomous territory of Denmark, Rasmussen said that it would be incorrect to
interpret the results as a sign of imminent independence or any intention to
join the United States.
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- "If I read the Greenlandic election correctly, I
believe that Greenland will remain part of the Danish Commonwealth for quite
some time," Rasmussen said. "This is a Commonwealth that needs to be
renewed and modernized, and I hope we will work together to strengthen the
Greenlandic economy even further."
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- He also dismissed any suggestion that Greenlanders wished to
abandon their ties with Denmark. "I do not see any indication from the
Greenlandic election that there is a desire to leave the Commonwealth in favour
of becoming American," he said.
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- Trump, speaking on Thursday during a meeting with North
Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval
Office, claimed that he believed the United States would eventually annex
Greenland, calling Denmark "very far away" from the territory despite
its status as an autonomous region within the Danish Kingdom.
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- In response, Rutte distanced himself from the issue, stating
that discussions regarding Greenland's status fell outside his purview and that
NATO should not be involved, Xinhua news agency reported.
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- Greenland, the world's largest island with a population of
around 60,000, was a Danish colony until 1953, when it became an integral part
of Denmark with Greenlanders given Danish citizenship. In 1979, Greenland achieved
home rule, gaining greater self-governance while Denmark retained authority
over its foreign and defence policy.
