Milan, Jan. 5 (LaPresse) – “Enough is enough. No more pressure. No more fantasies about annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to conversations. But it must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law. And the proper channels are not random and disrespectful posts on social media.” This is what Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a post on Facebook, after repeated threats by US President Donald Trump to annex the region, currently under Danish rule.
“We are close and loyal friends of the United States for generations. We have stood shoulder to shoulder in difficult times. We have taken responsibility for the security of the North Atlantic and, not least, of North America. This is what true friends do. Precisely for this reason, the immediate and repeated rhetoric of the United States is absolutely and utterly unacceptable,” Nielsen wrote in the post. “When the President of the United States speaks of ‘we need Greenland’ and links us to Venezuela and military intervention, it is not only wrong. It is disrespectful. Our country is not an object of superpower rhetoric. We are a people. A land. And a democracy. This must be respected. Especially by close and loyal friends.”
“We are part of NATO and are fully aware of our country’s strategic position. And we realize that our security depends on good friends and strong alliances. In this regard, a respectful and loyal relationship with the United States is very important. It has been so for decades,” the Greenlandic prime minister continues, “but alliances are based on trust. And trust requires respect. Threats, pressure and talk of annexation do not belong among friends. This is not how one speaks to a people who have repeatedly demonstrated responsibility, stability and loyalty. Greenland is our home and our territory. And so it will remain.”