On Wednesday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that she spoke to President-elect Donald Trump and explained “it is up to Greenland itself to make a decision on independence.”
This conversation came after Trump began saying that the United States should purchase Greenland. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Frederiksen explained that Danish companies have contributed to jobs and growth in the United States and that they both have a common interest in strengthened trade.
In the 45-minute conversation, Frederiksen and Trump also discussed the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the relationship with China.
“The Prime Minister and the incoming President have agreed to continue the dialogue,” the press release said.
Late last month, Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social that the United States owning Greenland “is an absolute necessity.”
Trump made the remark in a lengthy post announcing Ken Howery as his nominee to serve as ambassador to Denmark. Howery previously served as ambassador to Sweden.
“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity. Ken will do a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States. Thank you Ken, and congratulations!” Trump added.
In 2019, Trump said that purchasing Greenland would be “strategically interesting” for the United States.
“Denmark essentially owns it. We’re very good allies with Denmark. We protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world,” he said at the time.
Trump added, “Strategically, it’s interesting, and we’d be interested, but we’ll talk to them a little bit. It’s not number one on the burner.”
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