Denmark’s rhetoric about Greenland is playing into President Donald Trump’s hands, a pro-independence lawmaker in the island has said.
Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam told the outlet Sermitsiaq the governments of Greenland, Denmark and EU countries were doing what Trump wanted by repeating indignant statements in response to his demands which, she says, the U.S. leader could sell to the American public as justification for a military solution.
Newsweek has contacted Høegh-Dam and the Danish Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump has repeatedly called for Greenland, a semi-autonomous island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to become part of the U.S. citing security and strategic concerns in the Arctic.
What To Know
Høegh-Dam, who serves in the Greenlandic and Danish parliaments as a member of the Naleraq party, said that Trump was making deliberate provocations with his statements about Greenland.
But she believes that Copenhagen’s repeated expressions of indignation are what Trump wants to hear. This is because he can portray them to the American public to show that Greenland and Denmark are not willing to enter into any agreement and therefore a military solution is needed.
Høegh-Dam does not believe that there is any imminent threat of a U.S. military invasion, despite Trump’s refusal to rule it out, and she said that Greenland’s politicians should step up to the plate and clarify the island’s demands.
“Greenland must stop playing into the American game and instead start taking the initiative,” she said, according to a translation from Danish. This meant that Greenland should be forthright in stating its ambitions that it is “not for sale and does not want to be Danish or American.”
Rasmus Sinding Søndergaard, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), told Newsweek that the Danish government was reassured by Tuesday’s joint statement from allies such as the U.K., France and Germany in opposing Trump’s rhetoric.
However, European countries would be hesitant to strongly push back against the United States because they are still dependent on American security, especially in relation to the threat from Russia.
He said the messaging from Copenhagen was emphasizing there is an existing defense agreement dating back to 1951 that gives the U.S. unrestricted access to Greenland’s territory for military purposes. “The scary part is that the Americans know this, Denmark has been saying it and yet Trump still thinks he needs control,” said Søndergaard.
What People Are Saying
Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, pro-independence politician in Greenland: “Greenland, Denmark and the EU as well as the media are playing Donald Trump’s game.”
Rasmus Sinding Søndergaard, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS): “We take some comfort here in Denmark that we have seen strong rhetorical support from major European allies, Britain, France, Germany…that’s reassuring.”
What Happens Next
With no sign of Trump dialing back his calls to take over Greenland, France, through its foreign minister, has said it is working with allies on how to react if the U.S. were to invade the island and would discuss the matter at a meeting with German and Polish foreign ministers.