The Kremlin derided the European response, suggesting it had reacted “very timidly … almost in a whisper.”
Last week, Greenland’s leader said the territory must free itself from the “shackles of colonialism,” although he did not mention the United States.
Former Greenlandic foreign minister Pele Broberg, who now leads the largest opposition party, told the BBC that most Greenlanders he spoke to believed the US was vital to their defense and security.
“We’re part of the North American continent, so US defense is in such a great place with respect to Greenland because we’re creating a buffer zone that doesn’t need to be militarized.”
He called for a “free association agreement” with the US covering trade and defence, which would give Greenland independence but give the US responsibility for security.
Trump’s associates reinforced his views on Greenland.
Keith Kellogg, who was handpicked by Trump to end the war in Ukraine, said many of the president-elect’s remarks about Greenland made sense by “putting the United States in a position of world leadership.”
Republican Congressman Mike Waltz told Fox News that it’s “not just about Greenland, it’s about the Arctic” because Russia is trying to take control of the polar region with its mineral and natural resources.
“Denmark might be a great ally, but you can’t treat Greenland, which they control, as some sort of backwater—it’s in the Western Hemisphere.”
