Denmark rejects Trump's Greenland ambitions: ‘You cannot annex another country'

The United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has renewed his push to take control of Greenland, a self-governing Arctic island in the Danish Kingdom, after appointing hardliner Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland.

The appointment of Jeff Landry, who said he would make Greenland a part of U.S., has raised concerns in Denmark. The U.S. president cited “national security” as the rationale for acquiring the island.

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said that the U.S. wants Greenland because it is must-have to ensure Washington’s safety, adding, “We don’t want it for minerals.”

He continued, “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 have to have it.”

The remarks came after Landry’s appointment which drew a harsh response from Denmark.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen issued a joint statement, which read: “You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security. The U.S. shall not take over Greenland.”

In a Facebook post, Nielsen further stated that the U.S. moves did not affect us, “We decide our own future.”