The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has recalled before the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, that the Nazis occupied Denmark "in a day" and that, during World War II, Washington took control of Greenland to protect it, only to later "stupidly" return the island to Danish sovereignty.
In a press conference during the second day of the NATO summit held in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, the US leader has once again defended his aspirations over the Arctic territory, thus responding to the criticisms of the Danish head of government, who hours earlier had reiterated that "Greenland is not for sale."
"When Denmark was invaded by the Nazis, in less than a day, Hitler defeated them in a day, he took control. They asked us to take care of Greenland. In fact, we took Greenland and then, stupidly, we gave it back. We shouldn't have given it back, because it is we who need it," he asserted, emphasizing that Washington should not have renounced that strategic position.
Trump has lamented that decision made eight decades ago, stressing that "Greenland is very important to the United States, but it is not important to Denmark," and that the territory is key "for the protection of the world, not just the United States," referring to its military and geopolitical relevance in the Arctic.
"They were defeated very quickly. Denmark was defeated in a day, less than a day, by the Nazis. And when this happened, they immediately transferred it to us. It was ours. We had it. We were taking care of it, and then we gave it back, which, I don't know why," the president continued, linking this historical episode with other cases, such as the Panama Canal, which, according to him, he would not have handed over either, as China is now "trying to take over" that interoceanic waterway.
Shortly before, Mette Frederiksen had reiterated that Greenland "is not for sale" and that Denmark is willing to "defend every inch of NATO," while also demanding that all Alliance partners "respect the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination" and Denmark's territorial integrity and sovereignty over the island.
Trump reopened the controversy surrounding Greenland this Tuesday, after the issue seemed closed since January, when an agreement was signed at the Davos Forum with the mediation of the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, which had reduced the tension between Washington and Copenhagen.
"Greenland is very important to the United States. It is surrounded by Chinese ships and Russian ships. Greenland was, and still is, something that should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark," Trump stated this Tuesday at another press conference, upon his arrival in Ankara, insisting that the island should be under American control for security reasons.