After his inauguration, U.S. President Donald Trump called Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and demanded that she sell Greenland. This was reported by Financial Times.
Five current and former high-ranking European officials indicated that the conversation went very poorly. Trump allegedly behaved aggressively and confrontationally after the Danish Prime Minister stated that the island was not for sale.
At the same time, Frederiksen suggested closer cooperation in the areas of military bases and mineral development, but this did not satisfy Trump.
"He was very firm. It was a cold shower. It was previously hard to take this seriously. But I think it is serious and potentially very dangerous," one source told the publication.
Journalists emphasized that this call would heighten European concerns that Trump's return to power could exacerbate transatlantic relations, as the U.S. president pressures allies to concede territory.
"It was a very tough conversation. He threatened specific measures against Denmark, such as targeted tariffs," noted one former Danish official.
Many European officials hoped that his statements about wanting to exert control over Greenland for "national security" reasons were merely a tactical move to gain more influence over this territory, which is part of NATO.
The authors of the material pointed out that the conversation with Frederiksen shattered these hopes, deepening the geopolitical crisis among NATO allies.
"The intent was very clear. They (the Americans — ed.) want this. The Danes are now in crisis mode," explained one of the publication's sources.
The Danish Prime Minister's office stated that they "do not recognize the interpretation of the conversation provided by anonymous sources."
Recall that on December 23, Donald Trump indicated that he wants Greenland to be under U.S. control.
On January 3, Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede stated that the island wants to gain independence from Denmark.