Trump again proposes that the US should own and control Greenland

President-elect Donald Trump is again floating his interest in US ownership of Greenland, prompting the leader of the island territory to clarify that it is not for sale.

Trump on Sunday, in announcing his selection of PayPal co-founder Ken Howery to serve as his ambassador to Denmark, wrote that American ownership of the island was an “absolute necessity.”

“For purposes of national security and freedom throughout the world, the United States feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity. Ken will do a wonderful job representing the interests of the United States,” Trump wrote in a statement.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede flatly rejected the idea and posted one statement on Facebookwhich, according to translation, says: “Greenland is ours. We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our years-long struggle for freedom. However, we must remain open to cooperation and trade with the whole world, especially with our neighbors .”

Trump also expressed interest in trying to buy Greenland during his first administration.

Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, which has sovereignty over the self-governing island, pushed back at the time that the idea was “absurd”.

Frederiksen was re-elected in 2022. The Danish Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement to ABC News that “The Danish government looks forward to welcoming the new US ambassador. And the government looks forward to working with the new administration.”

“In a complex security policy situation such as the one we are currently experiencing, transatlantic cooperation is essential,” the office said. “As far as statements about Greenland are concerned, the Prime Minister’s Office has no other comments other than reference to what the Prime Minister of Greenland has stated that Greenland is not for sale, but open for cooperation.”

The first Trump administration gave Greenland $12 million for economic development, part of which was to help develop energy and natural resources. The US also opened a consulate in Greenland for the first time in decades during Trump’s previous presidency.

The US also operates Pituffik Space Base, the Ministry of Defence’s northernmost base, on the coast of Greenland.

Greenland is rich in valuable minerals, including rare earth metals, precious metals, precious stones, coal, graphite and uranium, but its geography and climate make commercially viable mining challenging, according to the US Department of Commerce. International Trade Association. Its rare earth resources would rank in the top five globally if developed, ITA reported.

Former Trump administration officials pointed to Greenland, the world’s largest island, as a key interest as China and Russia ramp up activity in the Arctic.

Howery, who previously served as the US ambassador to Sweden during the first Trump administration, said he was “humbled” that Trump appointed him to be the top US diplomat in Greenland.

“Representing our great nation abroad is a profound responsibility. I know firsthand the power of diplomacy to advance American interests and strengthen alliances, and I am grateful for the opportunity to return to Europe to advance the president’s agenda,” Howery said in one declaration posted on social media.

Howery’s statement did not address the suggestion that American ownership of Greenland was an “absolute necessity.”

“I look forward to working with the dedicated teams at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen and the U.S. Consulate Nuuk in Greenland to deepen the ties between our countries,” Howery said.