Donald Trump may have expressed an interest in acquiring Greenland for the US, but Denmark thinks the idea is frankly insane and Greenlanders have pointed out their home is not actually for sale. The US president has asked his aides and the White House counsel to look into the possibility of buying the world’s largest island, a largely autonomous country of the kingdom of Denmark.
The Greenland government was diplomatic, saying it had a good working relationship with the US and saw the inquiry as “an expression of general greater interest in investing in our country and its opportunities”. But it added firmly: “Greenland is obviously not for sale.” In comments echoed in somewhat stronger terms by other politicians in both Greenland and Denmark, the country’s foreign minister confirmed the country was “open for business, but not for sale”.
Eighty per cent of Greenland’s 2.16m sq km are covered in ice, and its 56,000 inhabitants are concentrated mainly around the coastlines and in the capital, Nuuk. The island has home rule from Denmark in most domestic matters but Copenhagen is in charge of defence and foreign affairs.
