Greenland and Denmark reacted sharply to another threat made by the Trump administration to the largest island in the world. The wife of one of Trump's key advisers, Stephen Miller - Katie, published in X an image of a map of Greenland, colored with the American flag and the inscription "COMING SOON". The publication was made shortly after the US attacked Venezuela and arrested the country's President Nicolas Maduro.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the publication "disrespect". At the same time, he reassured Greenlanders that they had nothing to worry about. "Our country is not for sale and our future will not be decided by posts on social networks," Nielsen said. The Danish ambassador to the United States, Jesper Moller Sørensen, appealed to Washington for "unconditional respect for the territorial integrity" of Denmark.
"Denmark will not be able to cope"
Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have categorically rejected the renewed territorial claims to Greenland by US President Donald Trump. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the United States "has absolutely no right" to annex any part of the Danish state.
However, the US president further escalated the situation. On board Air Force One, he said: "We need Greenland." The island is of great strategic importance, but is currently surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships, Trump added. "Denmark won't be able to handle it", the American head of state believes.
Trump keeps threatening Greenland
Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but is largely autonomous. Shortly before Christmas, the US appointed a special envoy to the island, which caused outrage from both Nuuk and Copenhagen, as well as the European Union. In recent months, Donald Trump has kept threatening to "annex" Greenland, not even ruling out the use of military force. In an interview with the American magazine "The Atlantic" yesterday, he again stated that he "definitely needs" Greenland.
The largest island in the world has huge deposits of valuable resources that are largely untapped. The newly emerging sea lanes, which have become a reality due to climate change, are turning Greenland into an even greater geostrategic center of the Arctic, where both the United States, Russia and China have interests.
Threats also to Colombia and Cuba
Meanwhile, concerns have also arisen in Cuba, one of Venezuela's most important allies and trading partners, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a new stern warning to the Cuban government. Rubio told NBC that Cuban bodyguards were with Maduro in Venezuela. The Cuban government confirmed in a statement read on state television on Sunday evening that 32 officers were killed during the US military operation in Caracas.
Returning to Washington on Sunday evening, Trump also issued a warning to Venezuela's neighbor, Colombia, and its President Gustavo Petro. Speaking to reporters, Trump said Colombia is "run by a sick man who loves to make cocaine and sell it to the United States". "He won't be doing it for very long," Trump told Petro on Sunday. Asked if he would order the US to carry out an operation against Colombia, Trump replied: "Sounds good to me."