TRUMP CANCELS DENMARK TRIP AS PM SAYS GREENLAND ISN’T FOR SALE

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he was postponing an upcoming visit to Denmark, a NATO ally, because its prime minister was not ready to discuss the sale of Greenland to the US.

“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 (US) purchase of Greenland, I will be postponing our meeting scheduled in two weeks for another time,” Trump tweeted, adding, “The Prime Minister was able to save a great deal of expense and effort for both the US and Denmark by being so direct.”

The cancellation of the trip marked a serious twist in an issue that the American president had himself underplayed, telling reporters two days ago that it was “not No 1 on the burner” and that his upcoming visit had noting to do with Greenland.

Denmark announced that Greenland, a self-governing country that it controls, was not for sale and Frederiksen told reporters that this was an “absurd discussion”. She added, “Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic. I persistently hope that this (proposed US buyout) is not something that is seriously meant.”

Trump was serious about it as he indicated in his tweet. He had been talking about it for weeks, The Washington Post reported, and had considered a one-time payment for it while absorbing the $600 million annual subsidy that Denmark gives Greenland.