US President Trumps remarks on Greenlands status at Davos conference

US President Donald Trump made clear his intentions to acquire Greenland during a speech at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland. Trump stated that he wants to acquire the territory due to its strategic position between the US, Russia, and China. He cited the island’s location as a key reason for his interest.

During World War II, the US provided military support to Denmark, which was invaded by Germany. The US established a military presence on Greenland, but it never possessed the territory. Trump incorrectly stated that the US gave Greenland back to Denmark after the war. However, experts have confirmed that Greenland’s status as part of Denmark is not in question and has been since the 1720s.

Greenland was incorporated into Denmark through a constitutional amendment in 1953, and the UN General Assembly accepted this change in November 1954. The US voted to accept Greenland’s new status. Since then, Greenland has moved towards greater autonomy, with home rule established in 1979. Today, Greenland is a district within the sovereign state of Denmark.

In contrast, Iceland is an independent island nation with nearly 400,000 residents and has maintained strong ties to the US since World War II. Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland were met with negative reactions from US markets, which fell by 2 percent in value after his speech. The White House press secretary later clarified that Trump had referred to Iceland separately during his remarks.

Trump also mentioned Iceland in a social media post following his Davos address, stating that the country has strong ties to the US and is a founding member of NATO.

Source: Al Jazeera