President Donald Trump doubled down on his push for U.S. control over Greenland, stating on Monday that the territory could become a significant part of America's future.
His comments came ahead of a planned visit by a high-profile U.S. delegation to Greenland, which has been met with strong criticism from local leaders in the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
“I think Greenland is going to be something that maybe is in our future,” Trump said, emphasizing the importance of Greenland for U.S. national security. However, his remarks have sparked backlash from Greenland's outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede, who called the delegation’s visit—a trip that includes a visit to a U.S. military base and attendance at a dog sled race—a “provocation.” Egede added that his caretaker government would not meet with the U.S. group.
The U.S. visit, led by Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance, is set to take place from Thursday to Saturday and includes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. While Trump has been vocal about his desire for U.S. annexation of Greenland, particularly since his son Donald Trump Jr. visited the island in January, the move has caused significant friction with Greenlandic and Danish leaders.
Egede criticized the U.S. stance, calling the interference a breach of democratic principles and urging Greenland's allies to take a firmer stance against the potential U.S. takeover. “We have not yet seen any of our allies make a clear statement. And we need our friends among nations,” Egede said, urging stronger opposition.
Meanwhile, Greenland's new government, led by the pro-business Democrats, is in a caretaker phase following a recent parliamentary election. Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the Democrats, also voiced concerns about the timing of the U.S. visit amid ongoing coalition talks. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the visit “problematic” and said it signaled an attempt to draw Greenland closer to the U.S., undermining its sovereignty.
In response to the criticism, Brian Hughes, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, emphasized that the visit aimed to "build on partnerships that respect Greenland's self-determination." He explained that the delegation's focus was on learning about Greenland's culture and history, and attending the U.S.-sponsored dog sled race.
Security around the visit has been heavy, with U.S. Hercules military transport planes arriving in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, carrying security personnel and equipment. Danish police have also been deployed to assist in the security preparations. The delegation will visit the Pituffik space base, a crucial U.S. military installation for missile defense, before attending the national dog sled race.
Despite Greenland’s and Denmark’s clear opposition, Trump has consistently renewed his calls for the U.S. to take control of the island, citing its rich natural resources, including minerals vital for new technologies. Denmark and Greenland have both firmly rejected such proposals, with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stressing that any discussions on Greenland's future would involve both Copenhagen and Greenland's government.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his governmen...
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations...
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United St...
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico over coverage he described as “fake news”.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his government faces growing public frustration and a resurgent far right.
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations against Islamic State since 2016, the Transport Ministry said.
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United States.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artificial intelligence (AI) and a range of global crises expected to dominate discussions this week.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment