He is not yet US President – but Trump is already speaking out with bizarre foreign policy ideas. After the Panama Canal, he now wants to have control over Greenland again. The rejection came promptly.
US President-elect Donald Trump wants to annex Greenland to the US. “In the interest of national security and freedom in the world, the United States believes that possession and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump said on his Truth Social channel.
At the same time, Trump also named his candidate for US ambassador to Denmark: Ken Howery, a co-founder of the payment service provider Paypal, who was ambassador to Sweden during Trump's first term in office. The appointment requires the approval of the US Senate.
“Greenland will never be for sale”
The answer from Greenland came immediately: “Greenland belongs to us. We are not for sale and will never be for sale,” said Prime Minister Múte B. Egede. At the same time, he emphasized that one must be open to economic cooperation. Greenland's foreign affairs representative Vivian Motzfeldt also rejected Trump's move on the Danish broadcaster TV2 as “nonsensical”.
Trump had already proposed buying Greenland during his first term in office. The response from Denmark at the time was also clearly negative.
The huge Greenland with its around 56,000 inhabitants belongs to Denmark, but is largely autonomous. The island is strategically important due to its location in the Arctic, its proximity to Russia and the mineral resources suspected there.
The US also has an air base there with an early warning system for ballistic missiles, as the shortest route from Europe to North America passes through the island. In terms of area, Greenland is about six times larger than Germany.
Trump also wants control of the Panama Canal
It is the second seemingly bizarre foreign policy idea that Trump has expressed. He had previously stated that he wanted to seize control of the Panama Canal. He justified this by saying that the fees for transit were too high.
Panama's President José Raúl Mulino immediately rejected the request: “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue to do so,” he explained. “The sovereignty and independence of our country are non-negotiable.”
No excessive fees
The fees charged by Panama are considered market rates as they are based on the size and tonnage of ships passing through. There are no provisions that – as Trump demands – guarantee the USA preferential treatment simply because of its historical role as a builder. “The fees are not arbitrary,” emphasized Mulino. “They will be determined in a public manner and through public consultation.”
