Page Nav

HIDE

Pages

Classic Header

{fbt_classic_header}

Breaking News:

latest

Danish Queen Margrethe II is 'surprised' by Trump's decision to CANCEL his state visit after the PM said it was 'absurd' to sell Greenland to the US as her predecessor says cancellation is 'deeply insulting' (14 Pics)

The Danish Royal family has said it is 'surprised' by Donald Trump's decision to cancel an upcoming state visit after the Prim...

The Danish Royal family has said it is 'surprised' by Donald Trump's decision to cancel an upcoming state visit after the Prime Minister branded the proposed US purchase of Greenland 'absurd'. 
Donald Trump unceremoniously cancelled his trip to Denmark after PM Mette Frederiksen rebuffed his hopes to buy resources-rich Greenland. 
The president has been vocal about his interest in obtaining Greenland, which is owned by Denmark, but Frederiksen slammed his scouting efforts as 'absurd', saying the semi-autonomous island is not for sale. 
Snubbed, Trump decided to postpone his meeting with Frederiksen, which was scheduled to take place in two weeks, in a dramatic last-minute decision announced on Twitter last night.
Today Queen Margrethe II and the royal household expressed surprise at the sudden cancellation, while other prominent Danish politicians described it as 'deeply insulting'.  
Donald Trump has cancelled his upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen because she refuses to talk about potentially selling Greenland
Frederiksen slammed Trump's interest in Greenland as 'absurd' saying 'Greenland is not for sale' on Sunday
Donald Trump has cancelled his upcoming meeting with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen because she refuses to talk about potentially selling Greenland
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former Danish Prime Minister, wrote on Twitter that Trump's cancellation was 'deeply insulting'
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former Danish Prime Minister, wrote on Twitter that Trump's cancellation was 'deeply insulting'
Trump tweeted Tuesday evening that he would postpone the meeting, originally scheduled during his September 2 and 3 state visit, 'for another time' because Frederiksen said Greenland was not for sale
Trump tweeted Tuesday evening that he would postpone the meeting, originally scheduled during his September 2 and 3 state visit, 'for another time' because Frederiksen said Greenland was not for sale
Former government ministers were quick to speak out, with ex-foreign minister and head of the foreign affairs committee in parliament, Martin Lidegaard, telling Trump to 'please stop'.
He added to Danish broadcaster TV2 that it was 'a diplomatic farce' and added that Trump's behavior was 'grotesque' and he was 'throwing a hissy fit'.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, a former Danish Prime Minister, wrote on Twitter that Trump's cancellation was 'deeply insulting to the people of Greenland and Denmark'.
While another ex-finance minister, Kristian Jensen, went further describing it as 'total chaos' and adding: 'This has gone from a great opportunity for a strengthened dialogue between allies to a diplomatic crisis.'
Lene Balleby, head of communications for the Danish royal family, said: 'It [the cancellation] was a surprise - we have nothing more to say about this case.'
Trump was invited by Denmark's Queen Margrethe II for a state visit in Copenhagen on September 2 and 3.
The president initially claimed the visit wouldn't be about a Greenland purchase, his sudden cancellation has cast doubts on the intentions of his trip. 
White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere confirmed that the entire trip to Denmark was cancelled. 
'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....' he tweeted.
'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!' he added, digging at Frederiksen for spurning his interest in buying the island.  
His cancellation came just three hours after the US ambassador to Denmark tweeted: 'Denmark is ready for the POTUS @realDonaldTrump visit! Partner, ally, friend' sharing a picture of a billboard emblazoned with Trump's name
His cancellation came just three hours after the US ambassador to Denmark tweeted: 'Denmark is ready for the POTUS @realDonaldTrump visit! Partner, ally, friend' sharing a picture of a billboard emblazoned with Trump's name
During the state visit he would have met with Denmark's Prime Minister Frederiksen as well as Greenland's Prime Minister Kim Kielsen, and other Danish leaders.
He was due to discuss the Arctic in meetings in Copenhagen with Frederiksen, who took office in June.
The trip to Denmark would have been the final leg of his trip which includes a stop in Warsaw, Poland, in a series of ceremonies in honor of the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II.   
His cancellation came just three hours after the US ambassador to Denmark tweeted: 'Denmark is ready for the POTUS @realDonaldTrump visit! Partner, ally, friend' sharing a picture of a billboard emblazoned with Trump's name. 
Trump started to express his interest in purchasing the island earlier this month, which he said would be a strategic move for its natural resources and because the U.S. military has operated for decades out of the Thule Air Base in Greenland, located between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
The northern-most U.S. base is part of the military's global network of radars and other sensors to provide ballistic missile warning and space surveillance.
'Strategically it's interesting and we'd be interested, but we'll talk to them a little bit. It's not number one on the burner, I can tell you that,' Trump previously said. 
Trump said Denmark loses almost $700 million a year on Greenland, which boasts a population of just 56,000. 
But Frederiksen dismissed Trump's real estate interests in the territory as 'absurd' on Sunday, reiterating that 'Greenland is NOT for sale'.
'Greenland is not for sale and U.S. President Donald Trump's idea of buying the semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic from Denmark is an absurd discussion,' Denmark's prime minister said. 
'Greenland is not Danish. Greenland is Greenlandic. I persistently hope that this is not something that is seriously meant,' she added.
Twitter users were quick to criticize the president and his intentions behind the Denmark state visit after he pulled out on account Frederiksen's refusal to talk about Greenland
Twitter users were quick to criticize the president and his intentions behind the Denmark state visit after he pulled out on account Frederiksen's refusal to talk about Greenland 
Greenland's government on Friday also dismissed the idea it was for sale.
'We are open for business, but we're not for sale,' Greenland's foreign minister Ane Lone Bagger told Reuters.
'#Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism. We're open for business, not for sale,' the official account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted.  
Trump said Sunday that he would broach the subject of buying the island with Danish leaders during his state visit.
He told reporters, 'we're going to Poland and then we may be going to Denmark ⁠— not for this reason at all. But we're looking at it.'

No comments