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A picture of the town of Nuuk in Greenland. Alamy Stock Photo

Denmark tells US (again) that Greenland is 'not for sale' after Trump revives row

Mette Frederiksen said Copenhagen’s position “hasn’t changed” after Donald Trump resurrected his push for the US to take control of Greenland.

DENMARK’S PRIME MINISTER Mette Frederiksen has once again insisted that Greenland is “not for sale” after US President Donald Trump revived his long-running calls for the Arctic territory to come under American control.

Speaking ahead of a Nato summit today, Frederiksen said there was no ambiguity about Denmark’s position.

“I heard the US president yesterday and I think the US position is unfortunately very clear on this topic,” she told reporters.

“Our position is as clear as it has been all through: Greenland is, of course, not for sale.”

Her comments came a day after Trump used his arrival at the Nato summit in Turkey to reopen the dispute, arguing that Greenland should belong to the United States rather than Denmark.

“Greenland should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

Claiming the island was strategically important because of Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, Trump added: “Denmark doesn’t spend money to really help Greenland”.

“It’s an important part for the United States,” Trump claimed.

The US president also suggested the disagreement had damaged his relationship with Nato, warning that Washington could even reconsider its military presence in Europe.

“We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe,” Trump said. “Because, as you probably noticed, Europe is a very different place than it was 20 years ago.”

Trump first pushed for the US to acquire Greenland earlier this year, arguing it was vital for American national security.

Greenland’s leaders, backed by Denmark, have repeatedly rejected the idea, insisting the autonomous territory is not for sale.

Speaking at the Nato summit this morning, Nato’s secretary-general Mark Rutte also commented on Trump’s statements on Greenland.

“A good process has been set in motion,” Rutte said in a brief response to a question from the press.

Additional reporting from AFP

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