Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said the island nation “is not for sale and will never be for sale,” after President-elect Donald Trump suggested the US should take it over.
Trump posted on social media early Monday that “for reasons of National Security and Freedom around the World, the United States of America considers possession and control of Greenland essential.” ” Greenland, a large frozen island in the Arctic with more than 50,000 inhabitants, is an autonomous region of Denmark. The Greenland leader responded quickly.
“Greenland is ours,” wrote Egede. “We are not sold and we will never be sold. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”
The post came just hours after Trump announced his intention named Ken Howery as US ambassador to Denmark. Howery was the US ambassador to Sweden during Trump's first term.
This is not the first time that Trump has suggested that the US buy the island in some way. In 2019, during Trump's first term, he said he was considering buying Greenland for strategic reasons. Greenland's leadership made it clear that the island was not for sale at that time either.
Over the weekend, Trump also appeared to suggest that the US should take over the Panama Canal, which is owned and operated by the Panama Canal Authority, which is owned by the Panamanian government. The US uses the canal more than any other country, according to the US State Department, with 72% of all ships going to or from US ports.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino responded that “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will continue with Panama.” “
“We'll see about that!” Trump posted after Mulion's answer.
The Panama Canal was built by the US in the early 20th century, and was returned through a treaty to Panama by former President Jimmy Carter in 1977.
