Danish Warnings to "Trump": Greenland is Not for Sale and Fears of Repeating the "Venezuelan Scenario"

Although Greenland has the right to declare independence under the 2009 agreement, it still relies financially on Denmark.

Diplomatic tensions escalated between Copenhagen and Washington today, Sunday, following controversial statements made by US President "Donald Trump" expressing his desire to annex the island of "Greenland".

These demands, which Trump reiterated in an interview with "The Atlantic" magazine, provoked leaders in Denmark and Greenland, who called on the White House to stop threatening the national sovereignty of a historical ally.

In a strongly worded statement, Danish Prime Minister "Mette Frederiksen" confirmed that America has no right to annex any part of the Danish Kingdom, describing talk of seizing the island as "utterly meaningless".

Frederiksen emphasized that Greenland's people and government have clearly stated that their land "is not for sale".

For his part, "Jens Frederik Nielsen", Prime Minister of Greenland, expressed his deep dismay at Trump's linking of the island's fate to military intervention in Venezuela. Nielsen considered such comparisons to entail "disrespect" and to be completely misguided.

These statements come just one day after US forces arrested Venezuelan President "Nicolas Maduro" and Washington's announcement of taking over the administration of his country.

This field development has sparked panic in Danish circles about the possibility of "Trump" seeking to apply a similar model in the Arctic.

What increased suspicion was Trump's appointment on December 21 of "Jeff Landry", Governor of Louisiana, as special envoy to Greenland.

Landry openly declared his support for the annexation idea, which was seen as a practical step towards realizing Washington's ambitions in the mineral-rich island.

Greenland forms a vital pivot point between Europe and North America, and is an integral part of the US missile defense system. America seeks through acquiring it to:

Secure strategic sites for the ballistic missile defense system.

Benefit from its immense mineral wealth to reduce dependence on Chinese exports.

And although Greenland has the right to declare independence under the 2009 agreement, it still relies financially on Denmark.

Copenhagen has tried throughout the past year to calm the atmosphere with the "Trump" administration by increasing defense investments in the Arctic, but these efforts were not enough to curb the American president's ambitions.