Trump had ‘fiery’ call with Danish prime minister over Greenland: Report
President Trump reportedly held a “fiery” call with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen over the president’s insistence that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for American national security.
A 45 minute call between Trump and Frederiksen last week spiraled into confrontation, senior European officials told the Financial Times. Trump, at that time the president-elect, was reportedly aggressive and threatened tariffs against the NATO ally.
National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes did not comment on the tone of the call but said Trump is focused on Greenland as part of the larger competition between China and Russia.
“President Trump has been clear that the safety and security of Greenland is important to the United States as China and Russia make significant investments throughout the Arctic region,” Hughes said in a statement.
“The President is committed to not only protecting U.S. interests in the Arctic but also working with Greenland to ensure mutual prosperity for both nations,” he added.
Trump has focused intently on plans to take over Greenland, an autonomous Arctic island that is part of the kingdom of Denmark. During his inauguration speech, he referred to the U.S. as a growing nation expanding its territory. Trump has also called for the U.S. to retake the Panama Canal and mused about annexing Canada.
Trump and Frederiksen spoke by phone on Jan. 15. The Danish prime minister said at the time she referred to remarks by the chair of Greenland’s Parliament that the island is not for sale and that it is up to Greenland to make its decision about its independence.
She also offered for Denmark to shoulder a greater responsibility for security in the Arctic, emphasized that Danish companies contribute to growth and jobs in the United States, and that the EU and the U.S. have a common interest in strengthened trade, according to a readout from her office.
The Trump transition team did not release details of that phone call, but Trump said at a press conference on Jan. 7 that he would not rule out economic or military force to take control of the Arctic island.
Speaking from the Oval Office hours after he was sworn in as president, Trump doubled-down on his intent to subsume Greenland and said, “I’m sure that Denmark will come along.”
But Frederiksen is viewed as a no-nonsense, security-focused professional who was critical of the Biden administration’s slow drip of weapons for Ukraine, said one American foreign policy expert who met with the Danish prime minister.
“She’s like the John Bolton of Europe; she’s hard-charging,” the expert said, referring to Trump’s onetime national security adviser whom the president has extreme animosity toward, criticizing him as stupid and a war monger. Trump recently pulled Bolton’s security detail that was in place over threats of assassination from Iran.
Frederiksen taking a tough line against Trump could have provoked the conversation to spiral, the expert speculated.
“She doesn’t seem like the type that would give any ground. Not that she’s unreasonable, but not the kind that would take any s‑‑‑.”
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