Greenland's leaders expressed anger after President Donald Trump said U.S. acquisition of the Arctic territory “will happen” during comments at the Oval Office.

Summary

Trump renewed calls for the US to annex Greenland for “national security” reasons during an Oval Office briefing, claiming “I think it will happen.”

Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Múte Egede responded on Facebook: “Enough is enough,” and planned to summon all Greenland’s political parties for a joint rejection.

Likely incoming Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also called Trump’s statement “inappropriate.”

Trump also undermined Denmark’s claim to Greenland, saying it was “very far away and really has nothing to do” with the island.

Danish Defense Committee Chairman Rasmus Jarlov warned that US annexation “would mean war between two NATO countries.”

  • Gordon Calhoun@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    1 month ago

    I have a hard time believing the public, much less military members, have the stomach to do something like this. There’s zero moral standing in it and it seems like all modern overt military actions by the US needed to have something its participants and supporters could hold up to say “I’m doing this to make the world, and my country, a better and safer place,” even if that publicized nobility turned out to be a farce coughIraqcough (although I am glad Saddam got to experience what it feels like to die). Unless you’re the demigod of a highly programmed autocracy like North Korea, it takes significant buy-in to wage an invasion, war, and occupation. With Greenland being a benign and peace-loving gem of nature, it would absolutely blow my mind if Trump said “CHARGE!” and military members did anything but a limp soulless salute and slow shuffle to mill about stupidly in passive protest.

    • N0t_5ure@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 month ago

      “Naturally, the common people don’t want war. Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”

      • Hermann Goering
      • peoplebeproblems@midwest.socialEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        He’s not wrong, but I don’t think pacifist is the word that should be used to describe the opposition to invading Greenland or Canada, or Panama.

    • floofloof@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      If the right-wing media start inventing stories about Greenland, Canada and Panama being threats to the USA, I don’t trust the US public to see through them. Many will, of course, but then many saw through the Iraq stuff too, just not enough.