President Trump on Wednesday complained that Denmark’s prime minister had responded to his suggestion that the U.S. purchase Greenland, a Danish territory, with a “nasty and inappropriate statement.”
“I thought it was a very not nice way of saying something. They could have just told me no,” Trump said. “All they had to say was, ‘We’d rather not do that.’ Don’t say, ‘What an absurd idea that would be.’”
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland “is not for sale” and called the idea of the U.S. acquiring the territory “absurd.”
“Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic. I persistently hope that this is not something that is seriously meant,” Frederiksen said.
Trump cancelled a September 2 visit to Denmark after the country’s politicians reacted incredulously to the suggestion of a Greenland purchase. He was scheduled to hold meetings with Greenland’s premier, Kim Kielsen, as well as the Queen of Denmark, among other leaders.
“Denmark is a very special country with incredible people, but based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” Trump wrote on Twitter after Frederiksen’s remarks.
“The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the United States and Denmark by being so direct. I thank her for that and look forward to rescheduling sometime in the future!” the president added.