After President-elect Donald Trump suggested the US should take possession of it, Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede said the island nation “is not for sale and will never be for sale”.
Trump posted on social media early Monday that “For purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Greenland, a large icy Arctic island with more than 50,000 inhabitants, is a self-governing territory of Denmark. Greenland's leader responded quickly.
“Greenland is ours,” Egede wrote. “We are not sellable and will never be sold. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”
The post came just hours after Trump announced his intention Nominate Ken Howery for US Ambassador to DenmarkHowery was the US ambassador to Sweden during Trump's first term.
This is not the first time that Trump has suggested America somehow buy the island. In 2019, during Trump's first term, He said He was considering purchasing Greenland for strategic reasons. Greenland's leadership had even then made it clear that the island was not for sale.
Over the weekend, Trump also suggested that the US should take over the Panama Canal, which is owned and operated by the Panamanian government-owned Panama Canal Authority. According to the US State Department, the US uses the canal more than any other country, with 72% of ships heading to or from US ports.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino responded that “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will always belong to Panama.”
“we'll see about that!” Trump posted After Mullion's reaction.
The Panama Canal was built by the US in the early 20th century, and was returned to Panama through a treaty by former President Jimmy Carter in 1977.