Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said the island nation “is not for sale and will never be sold” after President-elect Donald Trump suggested the US take control of it.
Early Monday, Trump wrote on social media that “for the purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America believes that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.” Greenland, a large icy Arctic island with more than 50,000 inhabitants, is an independent territory of Denmark. The leader of Greenland reacted quickly.
“Greenland is ours,” Egede wrote. “We are not for sale and never will be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”
The message came hours after Trump announced his intention to nominate Ken Howery as US Ambassador to Denmark. Howery was the US ambassador to Sweden during Trump's first term.
This is not the first time that Trump has suggested that the US somehow acquire the island. In 2019, during Trump's first term, – he said he considered buying Greenland for strategic reasons. Greenland's leadership has made it clear that the island is not for sale either.
Trump also suggested over the weekend that the US should take control of the Panama Canal, which is owned and operated by the Panama Canal Authority, which is owned by the Panamanian government. The US uses the canal more than any other country, according to the US State Department, with 72% of all ships going to or from US ports.
Panamanian President José Raúl Molina responded that “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will belong to Panama.”
– We will see that! Trump published after Mullion's answer.
The Panama Canal was built by the United States in the early 20th century and was returned to Panama under a treaty by former President Jimmy Carter in 1977.