US President Donald Trump recalled that the Nazis captured Denmark “in a day” and described the return of Greenland to Copenhagen as “stupidity”. He made these remarks during a conversation with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark, noting that during World War II, Washington took control of Greenland for its protection, and then “stupidly” returned the island to Denmark.
At a press conference on the second day of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, the American leader reiterated his interest in the Arctic territory, responding to criticism from the Danish Prime Minister, who had earlier stated that “Greenland is not for sale”. “When Denmark was captured by the Nazis in less than a day, Hitler crushed them. He took control. They asked us to take care of Greenland. In fact, we took Greenland, and then, stupidly, returned it. We shouldn’t have returned it because we need it,” he said, stressing that Washington should not have relinquished this strategic position.
Strategic importance of Greenland and historical parallels
Trump expressed regret over the decision made eight decades ago, emphasizing that “Greenland is very important to the United States, but not important to Denmark“, and that the territory is crucial “to protecting the world, not just the United States“, citing its military and geopolitical significance in the Arctic. “They were crushed very quickly. Denmark was crushed in a day, less than a day, by the Nazis. And when that happened, they immediately handed it over to us. It was ours. We had it. We took care of it, and then we returned it, I don’t know why,” the president continued, linking this historical episode to other instances, such as the Panama Canal, which he claimed he would not have given up either, as China is now “trying to take over” this interoceanic waterway.
Denmark’s response and resumption of the dispute
Shortly before this, Mette Frederiksen reiterated that Greenland “is not for sale” and that Denmark is prepared to “defend every inch of NATO“, while demanding that all partners of the Alliance “respect the right of the Greenlandic people to self-determination”, as well as the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Denmark over the island.
Donald Trump reignited the dispute over Greenland on Tuesday, despite the issue appearing settled since January, when an agreement was reached at the Davos Forum with the mediation of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, which had eased tensions between Washington and Copenhagen. “Greenland is very important to the United States. It is surrounded by Chinese and Russian ships. Greenland was and remains what should be controlled by the United States, not Denmark,” Trump said during another press conference after arriving in Ankara, insisting that the island should remain under American control for security reasons.
